KZN Court Hands Life And 15 Years Sentence For Repeated Rape Of 22-Year-Old Man

A 48-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment plus an additional 15 years after being convicted of the repeated rape of a 22-year-old man in northern KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

The accused, whose identity has not been disclosed, appeared before the Ingwavuma Regional Court on Wednesday, where the court handed down the lengthy sentence following a harrowing account of abuse spanning several months.

KZN Night-Time Attacks in Mbazwana

According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, the crimes took place in the Mbazwana area between November 2019 and January 2020. The court heard that the accused and the complainant are related.

“The accused raped the complainant on three occasions (November and December 2019, and January 2020). On each occasion, the accused entered the complainant’s home at night when the complainant was asleep,” Ramkisson-Kara said.

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“He was armed with a knife, which he used to threaten the complainant before raping him. The accused also threatened to kill the complainant and rape his family members if he (the complainant) reported the matter,” she added.

Report to Police and Arrest Years Later

Ramkisson-Kara said the complainant eventually disclosed the abuse after the final rape in January 2020.

“After being raped in January 2020, the complainant reported the matter to his mother.”

Police were alerted and the victim was taken to a nearby hospital, where a medical examination was conducted. However, the accused could not be traced at the time and evaded arrest for several years.

“The accused remained at large until he was arrested in 2024,” Ramkisson-Kara said.

Court Hears Trauma and Delivers Heavy Sentence

During the trial, state prosecutor Lungisile Bhengu presented testimony from the complainant, his mother — who was the first person he confided in — and the doctor who examined him.

“The doctor corroborated the complainant’s allegations of being raped,” Ramkisson-Kara said.

In aggravation of sentence, the court was presented with a Victim Impact Statement (VIS), compiled by the complainant with assistance from court preparation officer Mandisa Sikakane.

“In his statement, the complainant said that he still suffers psychological and emotional trauma and lives in constant fear. He said that he was bullied following the incident and endured verbal abuse from the community.”

The state asked the court to impose prescribed minimum sentences. The court subsequently sentenced the accused to life imprisonment for the rapes committed in November and December 2019, and an additional 15 years for the January 2020 rape. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.

The NPA welcomed the outcome.

“The accused, being a family member of the complainant, was in a position of trust. The offences broke that trust and caused immense pain and suffering to the complainant. Cases such as this demonstrate the NPA’s unwavering commitment to curbing the scourge of sexual offences within our communities,” Ramkisson-Kara said.

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