Johannesburg - An Eastern Cape teenager was sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping a nine-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl in separate incidents in Port Elizabeth.
On Thursday, the 17-year-old boy was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment in the Port Elizabeth Regional Court for two counts of rape which took place in September 2019 and June last year.
The National Prosecuting Authority said the teenage rapist was released in parental custody for the September 2019 incident, where he raped a nine-year-old boy. He had denied the charge in court but admitted to raping the 16-year-old girl in June last year.
NPA Eastern Cape spokesperson Anelisa Ngcakani said the victims were known to the teenager as they lived in the same neighbourhood.
She said the court found the teenager guilty on two counts of rape and handed him 10-year sentences for each rape incident.
“In September 2019, when he was 16-years-old, he raped a nine-year-old boy and was released on parental custody. However, he then raped a 16-year-old girl in June 2020. He was arrested and has remained in custody since.
“Both rapes were committed in Booysen Park and the children knew the teenager as they all stayed in the same area. He pleaded not guilty to the rape of the boy but pleaded guilty to raping the girl.
“He was sentenced to ten years imprisonment with five years suspended for the rape of the boy.
He was sentenced to ten years imprisonment with two years suspended for the rape of the girl. As a result, he will serve 13 years direct imprisonment,” said Ngcakani.
IOL