Ekurhuleni uncle sentenced for repeatedly raping 12-year-old niece

The repeated sexual attacks spanned from October 2019 to June 2021 while the victim lived with her grandmother and older sister. The Benoni Regional Court has sentenced a 41-year-old man to life imprisonment for repeatedly raping and assaulting his 12-year-old niece. Handing down the sentence on Tuesday, the court also imposed a concurrent five-year prison term for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Authorities withheld the man’s name to protect the young survivor’s identity, while the court ordered his inclusion on the National Register for Sex Offenders and declared him unfit to work with children. Abuse exposed after sister notices behavioural changes The repeated sexual attacks spanned from October 2019 to June 2021 while the victim lived with her grandmother and older sister. The abuse began during a family wedding at the grandparents’ home, where the uncle followed the child into an outside toilet, locked the door, raped her, and threatened to kill her if she spoke out. He struck twice more when the grandmother was away at work, pushing the child to the floor before assaulting and raping her. In June 2021, the victim’s older sister noticed sudden changes in her behaviour and intervened, prompting the child to reveal the abuse. Their grandmother immediately reported the crimes to police, who arrested the man at Boksburg Prison on 26 September 2022, where he was already serving a five-year sentence for a separate sexual assault conviction. Court rejects plea for mercy Throughout the trial, the accused denied the charges and pleaded not guilty. However, Regional Court prosecutor Refiloe Neluonde secured a conviction by presenting strong testimony from both the sister and the young survivor, who testified through intermediary services. During sentencing proceedings, the defence asked the court to deviate from the prescribed minimum life sentence, citing the more than three years the man spent awaiting trial. The State firmly opposed the plea, highlighting that he had betrayed family trust and shown zero remorse. “[The State] submitted that the uncle had committed the offences while on parole in another matter and had exploited the child’s vulnerability and the trust associated with their family relationship,” said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana. Acting Regional Court Magistrate Mamelo Mafisa sided with the State, ruling that no substantial and compelling circumstances justified a lighter sentence