Pretoria – A man, 34, from Breyten in Mpumalanga, whose name cannot be revealed to protect his victim’s identity, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Ermelo Regional Court for raping a mentally impaired teenage neighbour.
In a press release this week, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Mpumalanga provincial spokeswoman Monica Nyuswa said the victim was 16 at the time of the incident.
She said on May 24, 2018, at around midnight, the teenager’s grandmother noticed she was missing and started looking for her. She was later found inside a vehicle parked in her grandmother’s yard, in the company of the accused.
“Upon questioning the victim, she told both her aunt and her grandmother that the accused had raped her and threatened her not to tell anyone. The victim further reported that, the accused raped her on numerous occasions,” said Nyuswa.
The teenager was eventually taken to a clinic, where it was confirmed she had been raped.
After his arrest, the man maintained his innocence. But prosecutor Chanè Rothman led evidence from the victim who testified through an intermediary, as well as testimony from a clinical psychologist who evaluated the teenager and found her mental capacity was of a child aged 10 years and nine months, Nyuswa said.
Evidence from the victim’s aunt also corroborated that of the girl and a medical report.
“Rothman told the court that the accused took advantage and the vulnerability of the victim. She argued that it was more aggravating that the accused took control of the situation when he raped the defenceless victim,” said Nyuswa.
African News Agency/ANA