Pretoria - A father of 14 children who had admitted to an array of charges, including rape and other sexual offences committed with some of his children and stepchildren – aged between 9 and 14 years – broke down in tears as he told the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, that he had been “a bad father”.
The 44-year-old, who cannot be identified as his children are minors, was this week convicted on 15 charges, ranging from rape, statutory rape, the sexual grooming of children and using a child to produce child pornography.
While two of the victims were his own biological children, some were his stepchildren or the children of women who lived with him over the years.
One of the charges – statutory rape – relates to a 13-year-old – said to be his girlfriend and who lived with him from 2017 (when she was 13) until shortly be fore his arrest in November 2020. She became pregnant with his child and gave birth when she was 15.
The man was arrested after he was caught raping one of his daughters.
He at first pleaded not guilty to all the charges and the State called its first witness, a doctor who had examined some of the children following his arrest.
According to the doctor most presented with markings to their private parts, which were indicative of sexual activity. Shortly after the conclusion of the evidence of the first witness, the dad had a change of heart and decided to admit to everything.
Judge Papi Mosopa subsequently convicted him on 15 of the 16 charges. He was acquitted on one charge of rape relating to a child whose mother was in a relationship with the accused.
While he was convicted on a charge of sexual assault relating to this 10-year-old child, the doctor found that the hymen of this child was still intact.
He faced seven charges – which he admitted to – regarding rape and other sexual offences he had performed with one of his biological daughters since she was 12. The first time he had raped her (when she was 12) was when she visited him at his home while he was hosting a party. He gave her alcohol and when she was drunk raped her.
The father, who owned a pub on the East Rand, often gave the child “a double-brandy and Coke” when she visited him, after which he raped her.
He instructed her to take pictures of her private parts and send them to him. The man also took pictures of their private parts while he raped her.
Another victim was 14 when she moved in with the accused as his girlfriend. She shortly afterwards had his first child and subsequently bore him two more children.
The man did not give evidence before his conviction, but he opted to testify in mitigation of sentence. This evidence was marked by such scenes of apparent emotion – including tears and loud sobbing – that Judge Mosopa had to adjourn for the accused to compose himself. Reading from a piece of paper, the father first apologised to the court for wasting its time in not pleading guilty from the start. He then profusely apologised to his children.
“I know I was not a good father. I apologise from the bottom of my heart. I know if I get professional help, I would be a better person in time.”
He said prison was not a good place, but he had learnt to survive.
He said he had “found God” and had since his arrest read the Bible at least five times.
According to the father he is also in the process of writing two religious books. “I promise to send you a copy of each,” he told Judge Mosopa.
He further said he was leading his flock in jail towards God and that he preached most Sundays in jail.
He said God had guided him to a new woman.“I would love to ask for her hand in marriage,” the sobbing man said. He will be sentenced today.
Pretoria News