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A NORTHERN Cape man was sentenced to 22 years’ direct imprisonment for raping his neighbour's six-year-old niece.
Provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Sergio Kock said the 32-year-old man raped the minor girl in Mothibistad in 2016 after he had lured her to an unused pit toilet.
“On November 28, 2016, at about 6pm, the neighbour told the victim that his money had fallen into his unused pit toilet and requested her to assist him to retrieve the cash. The aunt noticed both the victim and the neighbour coming out of the toilet and the girl was crying. The girl reported the incident to her aunt and the accused was arrested,” said Kock.
He added that the police opposed bail and the accused remained in custody up until his sentencing.
“The accused was found guilty and sentenced on March 2, 2023 in the Kuruman Regional Court to 22 years’ direct imprisonment.”
The provincial head of the SAPS Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit, Brigadier Kheswa, applauded Captain Keitumetse Semetsa of the Kuruman FCS for her “meticulous investigation that led to this outstanding sentence”.
“GBVF (gender-based violence and femicide) as well as the safety and security of women and children remains one of the priorities of the SAPS,” said Kheswa.