The Parow Regional Court has handed down a sentence of life imprisonment to an uncle who raped his niece, aged seven, twice, and also sexually assaulted her.
The man may not be named, in order to protect the identity of the girl.
The uncle appeared before magistrate Mandy van Leeve on Wednesday, who said he was a father figure to the young girl, and as such had a duty to protect her.
Van Leeve said the girl was supposed to feel safe with her uncle but, instead, he had abused his position of trust.
She said the girl’s parental home, where she lived with her mother, was supposed to be a safe haven for her, but that the uncle had turned it into a “house of hell” for her.
Prosecutor Yolanda Pretorius told the court that the mother did nothing to stop the uncle, other than to plead with him to stop.
When the uncle ignored the mother, the mother failed to report him to the police, the prosecutor told the court.
The magistrate said the uncle had not only broken the bond between mother and daughter, but had also broken up the family.
She said the accused was married to the girl’s mother’s sister. The accused was the family breadwinner, and father figure to the girl.
The incidents happened two years ago.
The rapes and sexual assault came to light after the mother severely assaulted the girl, and the mother’s assault was reported to the police.
For the serious assault on the girl, the mother was sentenced in the Blue Downs Regional Court to 10 years conditionally suspended for five.
The magistrate said the uncle was arrested for the rapes and sexual assault, and “eventually, someone was standing up for her.”
After the Blue Downs case, the girl went to stay with her aunt.
The magistrate said the girl was still traumatised from the incidents two years ago, and was severely affected emotionally.
She said the girl struggled to recall all the incidents, and arrangements had to be made for her to receive special preparation for the trial.
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