The Escourt Regional Court has on Monday, 5 December 2022 sentenced a father to three life imprisonment after he was found guilty of raping his biological daughter.
Thorough police investigation spearheaded by Detective Sergeant Sandile Sanele Madlala of the Escourt Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit proved beyond reasonable doubt that the 49-year-old father repeatedly raped his biological daughter from 2005.
The victim was only five years old at the time and was staying with her father in Escourt after her parents separated.
In 2007 both the victim and her father moved to Imbali, Pietermaritzburg but her father continued raping her, threatening to kill her if she told anyone.
The victim fell pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy at the age of fifteen (15) years as a result of the rape ordeal.
The matter was reported to the police in 2020 and the father was arrested.
The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in KwaZulu-Natal, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has lauded D/Sgt Madlala for putting out all stops in ensuring that justice was served and that the perpetrator was removed from society.
“People who abuse women and children, and those who violate their rights have no space in the society and as the police we shall execute our investigative mandate with tact and dedication. We are determined to create a safe and secure environment for our women and children as prescribed in Chapter 12 of the National Development Plan: Vision for 2030. The sentence could not have come at a better time as the nation is observing 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children. We shall continue to prioritise crimes against women and children and working together with the prosecution authority, more perpetrators will put behind bars for lengthy periods”, Lt Gen Mkhwanazi said.
