A Western Cape man has been sentenced to 25 years direct imprisonment by the Worcester Regional Court for the rape of his foster sister.
The 31-year-old man from De Doorns was ultimately convicted for the rape of the 11-year-old who is mentally disabled after he pleaded guilty.
State prosecutor Amisha Ratanjie presented the facts before the court and submitted that on the evening of April 30, 2019, the victim was asleep when her foster brother moved her from one bed to another. Although she woke up, he undressed her and raped her. Her mother woke up during the incident and witnessed him leaving her daughter’s bed. The matter was reported to police and DNA evidence linked him to the crime.
The State also submitted several documents to the court, including the victim’s birth certificate, a Cape Mental Health report, a pre-sentence report, and a victim impact report.
Addressing the court, Ratanjie urged the court to impose a life sentence, emphasising that the rapist had a duty to protect the victim with whom he had grown up as siblings.
The court heard he was fully aware of her age and mental disability and he had betrayed her trust by his actions.
Ratanjie asserted that protecting the interests of minors and vulnerable individuals is paramount, and, in this case, life imprisonment was the only suitable sentence.
Magistrate Abigail Juries sentenced him to 25 years imprisonment with five years suspended on the condition that he not be convicted of rape or attempted rape during the suspension period.
In her remarks, Juries noted that the only favourable aspect for the accused was that he was a first-time offender and acknowledged that he had been in custody for nearly five years. She concluded that he lacked an understanding of the impact of his actions, necessitating life skills training in prison.
In addition to his prison sentence, the rapist has been banned from working with children, and it has been ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders, prohibiting him from any employment positions involving vulnerable people, including children.
The court mandated he undergo life skills training to comprehend the significant impact his actions have had on the victim and her family. The court further instructed that the victim be informed when the accused is considered for parole.