Mamelodi Man Gets Life For Raping Neighbour’s 12-Year-Old Daughter After Food Delivery Ruse

A 33-year-old Mamelodi East man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for the brutal rape of his neighbour’s 12-year-old daughter, a crime a Pretoria magistrate said “ruined her life.”

A Trusted Errand Turns into a Nightmare

The National Prosecution Authority (NPA) has welcomed the life imprisonment sentence handed down by the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court. The conviction stems from a horrific incident on 5 June 2016, which began with an act of apparent kindness.

The court heard that on the night of the crime, the victim’s mother left her 12-year-old daughter and a 5-year-old sibling asleep at their Mamelodi East home to meet a friend at a nearby tavern.

While there, she encountered the 33-year-old neighbour. Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda detailed the events that unfolded: “The man offered to buy food for her children and drop it off at her place of residence.

“The mother gave the man the keys to her house so he could deliver the food to her children while she remained behind at the tavern.”

A Mother’s Horrific Discovery and the Fight for Justice

The man’s true intentions became clear once he arrived at the house. After waking the children and giving them the food, he assaulted the 12-year-old girl. “He took the victim, placed her on the bed, and began to rape her in the presence of her 5-year-old sibling,” the NPA stated.

The crime was interrupted when the victim’s mother returned home with her friend. “When she did not get a response, she went to the window, opened the curtain, and saw the man raping her child,” said Netshiunda.

The man was arrested at the scene after the mother’s friend called the police. The young victim was taken to the Mamelodi Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) for medical, psychological, and legal support.

In court, the man pleaded not guilty. However, State Prosecutor Charlene Khosa presented compelling evidence that secured the conviction.

During sentencing, the man requested leniency, arguing he was a first-time offender with children to support.

Khosa, however, argued for the maximum sentence. “The man showed no remorse as he pleaded not guilty,” she said, handing in a Victim Impact Statement where the victim expressed how the offence has left her with lasting trauma, unable to perform at school, and feeling that the man “took her innocence and childhood away.”

Life Sentence Sends a Strong Message Against GBV

Magistrate Johanna Luus agreed with the state that no grounds existed for a lesser sentence. She emphasised the severity of the crime and the man’s lack of remorse.

“The court intends to send a clear message that such offences will not be tolerated by the court as rape is a violent crime,” she said. The court also ordered that his name be added to the National Register for Sexual Offenders and declared him unfit to possess a firearm or work with children.

Acting Director of Public Prosecutions in Gauteng, Advocate Marika Jansen Van Vuuren, applauded the prosecution team. “

The NPA prosecutes these crimes with unrelenting determination, ensuring perpetrators face the full might of the law and victims receive justice,” she said.

The NPA also commended the mother’s vigilance and encouraged the public to report gender-based violence so victims can receive support through TCCS.

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