Durban - A 33-year-old man who pretended to be a traditional healer and repeatedly raped a 17-year-old girl with health issues was handed life imprisonment by the Madadeni Regional Court in KwaZulu-Natal.
In a statement on Tuesday, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said prior to the repeated rape of the teen in April last year, the man befriended the girl’s mother, pretending to be a traditional healer.
Ramkisson-Kara said that from his frequent visits to them, the accused realised that the girl often got sick and would be taken to hospital. He suggested to the mother that he could heal the girl with his traditional medicine and that she need not go to the hospital, she said.
She said the mother agreed to the proposal.
“On the afternoon of the incident, he fetched the girl from her home, telling her mother that he would take her to the river for a cleansing ritual, followed by a prayer meeting with the other congregants. The girl went with him. However, he took her to his house under the guise of waiting for the other congregants to arrive.
“There he forcefully undressed her and raped her twice, only releasing her in the early hours of the following morning,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
The NPA said the teen immediately reported the incident to her sister and mother. The rapes were then reported to the police.
Ramkisson-Kara said the teen was taken to the Madadeni Thuthuzela Care Centre where she received medical and psycho-social assistance, and the accused was arrested shortly after.
In court, regional court prosecutor Scelo Simphiwe Hlela led the testimonies of the teen, her mother, and her sister to whom the matter was first reported, and the medical doctor.
Hlela further submitted a victim impact statement compiled by the girl and facilitated by court preparation officer Masande Mdiya.
“In her statement the girl said that the incident left her traumatised and embarrassed, with psychological scars. She said that she had been a virgin, and that was her pride as a young girl,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
The NPA said the man was sentenced to life imprisonment.
“The NPA welcomes the successful finalisation of this matter as it affirms our commitment to curbing the scourge of gender-based violence. We commend the work done by the prosecution and SAPS.”