Johannesburg - Justice has prevailed for a 16-year-old girl who was raped by a 72-year-old man identified as Piet Jantjie.
Free State police reveal that on the day of the incident, which dates back to 2019, the victim was forcefully taken by Jantjie to a furniture store, when he was reported to have raped her.
On September 7, 2023, he was sentenced to 20 years of direct imprisonment by Koppies Regional Court after his bid for bail was rejected.
In a statement shared by Sergeant Mahlomola Kareli, details are shared on how a community member sought help after hearing a cry for help.
‘’Elderly man forces himself on a 16-year-old girl and ends up with 20 years imprisonment for his actions.’
‘’It was at about 19:00 in the evening of May 13, 2019. When the victim was threatened and forcefully taken by the suspect to the back of a furniture store, he raped her. A community member passing by heard the victim's crying and went to seek help. While summoning the local police, community members rushed to the scene and effected a citizen’s arrest.
‘’The suspect was handed over to Koppies police. The Tumahole Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences Unit took over the investigation, and the suspect, Piet Jantjie, 72 years old, was denied bail until he was sentenced to 20 years of direct imprisonment by Koppies Regional Court on September 7, 2023.’’
In the wake of a series of cases where minors are subjected to rape, the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund (NMCF) has also expressed concerns.
The organisation was recently responding to the released crime statistics by SAPS and Stats SA, underscoring the need for continued vigilance and support to ensure children’s safety, even as sexual offences show a decline in certain reports.
NMCF CEO Dr Linda Ncube-Nkomo called on organisations to spotlight this critical issue for awareness and transformative action.
Ncube-Nkomo further said that spotlighting such cases can assist in collaboratively combating child abuse and exploitation in our society.
The Star