The South African Police Service (SAPS) in the ZF Mgcawu District has praised the meticulous investigation by Sergeant Lucky Malepe of the Upington Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit, along with the collaborative efforts of State Prosecutor Mr. Mzukisi Twane and Magistrate Selina Tsotsa, for securing a hefty sentence against a Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) perpetrator.
The case dates back to 18 January 2021, when an 11-year-old victim from Kanoeneiland returned home from school while her mother was at work. Upon arriving, she was raped by her stepfather after removing her school uniform. The abuse continued whenever the victim’s mother was away at work, with the stepfather also assaulting her in the evenings and threatening to kill her if she reported the incidents.
Over time, the accused became obsessively controlling, severely assaulting the victim, restricting her from speaking to any males, and falsely accusing her of promiscuity. The abuse escalated until 3 June 2023, when the mother caught the stepfather in the act of raping her daughter. Shockingly, instead of protecting her child, the mother developed a hostile attitude toward the victim and even removed her from school.
In July 2023, the victim confided in her grandmother during a visit to the Vaal region. The grandmother immediately reported the case to the Sharpville SAPS, and the docket was later transferred to Kanoeneiland SAPS for further investigation. The 42-year-old accused was subsequently arrested and charged with rape and two counts of Assault with Intent to Cause Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH).
Following a thorough investigation and collection of evidence, the accused was convicted and sentenced in the Upington Regional Court on Tuesday, 3 June 2025. He received life imprisonment for rape and an additional 10 years for each count of Assault GBH.
In addition to his prison sentence, the court declared the accused unfit to possess a firearm, unfit to work with children, and ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sexual Offenders.
