KZN Man Gets Life Imprisonment for Heinous Rape of An 8-Year-Old

Detectives from the Ulundi Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit achieved a big success when a 48-year-old man was sentenced to two life sentences for raping an 8-year-old child in KwaCeza’s Ngobodweni area. On January 29, 2025, the Ulundi Regional Court handed down the sentence.

Details of the Crime

In October 2023, the accused, who cannot be named since the child victim was his neighbour, lured her to his house on the pretence of playing with friends.

On October 11, 2023, he dragged her into the surrounding bushes and committed the first act of rape. Just three days later, he repeated the heinous deed, calling her into his house as she was playing with friends and forced her onto the bed where he raped her again.

Justice Delivered

The victim bravely reported the assaults to her family, who immediately contacted the police. The court convicted the accused guilty of two counts of rape. In addition to the life sentence, he was deemed unfit to carry a firearm and will be added to the National Register of Sex Offenders.

The list of sexual offenders and gender-based violence (GBV) perpetrators will be made public by the end of February 2025.

In November 2024, a petition was launched with approximately 20,000 signatures demanding that the list be made public.

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SAPS Commitment to Combating GBVF

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has committed itself to combat gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), which is a national priority crime.

The Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Investigations Unit (FCS) is responsible for preventing and investigating these crimes, as well as providing justice to victims of family violence, crimes against children, and sexual offences.

176 FCS units around the country deal with sexual crimes, person-directed crimes, unlawful removal of a person, and electronic media-facilitated crime. Forensic Social Workers (FSW) within the unit assist FCS detectives by conducting psychosocial and risk assessments, providing therapeutic services, and implementing crisis interventions for victims.

Additional Measures

The SAPS has created Gender-Based Violence Desks at all police stations to guarantee that GBVF cases receive priority attention and are handled quickly. Furthermore, there are 1,161 Victim Friendly Rooms (VFRs) in police stations that provide a safe space for victims of domestic assault to give their statements.

Other Cases

On January 27, 2023, a court convicted an accused of raping a six-year-old girl. The State demanded a minimum penalty of life imprisonment.

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