A 20-year-old Northern Cape man has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for two counts of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault involving two childhood friends.
THE NATIONAL Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in the Northern Cape has welcomed the 13-year prison sentence handed down to Wynand Morris, 20, by the Victoria West Regional Court. Morris was convicted of two counts of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault.
According to NPA regional spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane, the first incident occurred on April 7, 2023, when Morris attempted to rape a 22-year-old childhood friend.
After offering to walk her home, Morris made inappropriate advances, including groping her and requesting sex. When she refused, he became violent, throwing her to the ground and trying to undress her. During the struggle, the victim was stabbed in the face and head with a broken bottle. She managed to stab Morris in self-defence and fled to her aunt’s house, where she reported the assault to the police. Morris was subsequently arrested and charged with attempted rape.
Senokoatsane added that while on bail, Morris attacked another childhood friend, a 17-year-old girl, on August 19, 2023.
After offering her beer in exchange for sex, which she refused, Morris violently threw her to the ground and attempted to undress her. He fled when a passerby’s phone flashlight startled him. The victim reported the attack, leading to Morris’s arrest.
Senokoatsane said that the regional court prosecutor, Xolisa March, argued that Morris’s similar actions in both cases revealed a clear pattern of behaviour. Furthermore, the prosecutor emphasised that Morris committed the second attempted rape while out on bail for the first offence, showing his blatant disregard for the law.
Senokoatsane added that the court considered victim impact statements prepared by court preparations officer Trott Manghana, which significantly influenced the sentencing. Morris has been sentenced to 13 years in prison and declared unfit to possess a firearm. His name will also be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.
Senokoatsane reaffirmed the NPA’s commitment to tackling gender-based violence and femicide and “ensuring that perpetrators are held accountable for crimes that infringe upon the dignity and privacy of victims, as protected under the Constitution”.
