Griekwastad man receives 22-year sentence for rape

A 33-year-old Griekwastad man, Ricardo Pyl, also known as Booitjie Langman, has been sentenced to 22 years of direct imprisonment for raping a 21-year-old woman in March 2024.

The Griekwastad Regional Court handed down the sentence on July 10, 2025, after Pyl was found guilty of the heinous crime.

The incident occurred on March 1, 2024, at around midnight, when the victim was socialising at a neighbour's house with Pyl. When the neighbor left, Pyl threatened the victim with a knife and raped her. The victim managed to escape hours later and called for help.

Griekwastad SAPS Detectives apprehended Pyl the following day and recovered the victim's cellphone, which he had taken. Bail was successfully opposed, and Pyl remained in custody until the conclusion of the trial.

The Provincial Commissioner of the Northern Cape, Lieutenant General Koliswa Otola, commended Detective Warrant Officer Shaniel Antonie from the Kimberley Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit for her outstanding investigative work that secured the conviction.

"We hope this sentence serves as a deterrent to those who may consider perpetrating similar crimes," said Lieutenant General Otola.

"We also trust it brings a measure of solace to the victim and encourages other survivors to continue speaking out against the scourge of GBVF."