Hopetown man sentenced to 18 years for rape and assault
THE HOPETOWN Regional Court recently sentenced 24-year-old Martin April to 18 years in prison for the assault of a man and the rape of his mother in December 2022.
The crimes occurred on Valeria Farm near Hopetown over two days, between December 23 and 24, 2022.
According to Northern Cape police spokesperson Sergeant Timothy Sam, the investigation revealed that April attacked the male victim at a friend's house on Friday, December 23, 2022. The following day, he raped the man’s mother while she was on her way to a hiking spot.
The court sentenced April to three years in prison for the assault and 15 years for the rape, with the sentences set to run concurrently. He was also declared unfit to own a firearm.
The case was successfully prosecuted by Advocate Nicola van Niekerk, with Detective Sergeant Frans Louw leading the investigation. Their efforts were commended by Pixley ka Seme district commissioner Major-General Nomana Mtukushe, who highlighted the importance of addressing gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in society.
Sergeant Sam emphasised that the police remain committed to collaborating with GBVF groups to implement social crime prevention programmes aimed at tackling these crimes and fostering changes in behaviour and societal norms.
