DURBAN: The Pietermaritzburg Regional Court has sentenced a 30-year-old man to three terms of life imprisonment for raping three young relatives in Impendle outside Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal.
The children, two boys, aged 10 and 12 at the time, and a girl, 8, lived with their granny in Impendle.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Natasha Kara said the man had pleaded guilty.
Kara said the man raped the children between April and June 2021. He cannot be named to protect the identities of the children.
He was eventually caught by the grandmother. She called the police and he was arrested immediately.
The children were taken to the Edendale Thuthuzela Care Centre, where they received psychosocial and medico-legal assistance, she said.
“The man pleaded guilty to all three counts of rape of the children, on various occasions,” said Kara.
Kara said State advocate Clementine Zenzile Mchunu handed in victim impact statements, compiled by the children and their granny, which were facilitated by court preparation officer Thobekile Chuene.
“In their statements, all the children said that the incident has left them scared and they cry all the time.
“They are also performing poorly at school, and they wish that they never see the man again. Their granny said that the man had abused her hospitality and trust,” she said.
The NPA said this sentence was indicative of the seriousness with which it viewed such crimes.
“The National Prosecuting Authority welcomes the successful prosecution of this matter, and we commend the work done by the prosecution and police,” it said.
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