Durban – A 37-year-old man who was caught raping his 7-year-old niece has been jailed for life.
The man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, was sentenced in the Esikhaleni Regional Court.
According to KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele, the incident took place on April 18.
“The child was sweeping inside the rondavel at her home in Port Dunford when the uncle entered and raped her.
“The uncle was caught red-handed by the child’s grandmother who reported the incident to the police.”
Mbele said a case of rape was opened at Esikhaleni police station and it was assigned to the Empangeni Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit for investigation.
“The uncle was immediately arrested and was kept in custody throughout the trial.”
The acting KZN police commissioner, Major-General Thulani Gonya, has commended the investigating officer for sending a well-investigated docket to court.
“Crimes against children cannot be tolerated, especially committed by people meant to be protectors to the victims. We will ensure that they face the full might of law,” said.
IOL