A 59-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment and an additional 20 years by the Oudtshoorn Regional Court after being convicted of repeatedly raping and impregnating his minor daughter over a two-year period.The man was found guilty of rape, sexual violation, and incest involving his 13-year-old biological daughter, according to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila.
The court also heard that the child was born after the accused raped her mother when she was 16 years old. Although he was initially convicted for that rape, the conviction was later overturned by the High Court. The mother expressed frustration, feeling that the justice system had failed her and that the subsequent abuse of her daughter could have been prevented had the initial conviction stood.
Prosecutor Hyron Goulding argued that the accused, who was supposed to protect his daughter, was "a wolf in sheep's clothing" and had carefully planned the abuse, waiting for his wife to leave for work before assaulting the child.
The court sentenced the accused to 10 years for sexual violation (to run concurrently with the life sentence), life imprisonment for rape, and 20 years for incest (to run separately from the life sentence).
Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Nicolette Bell, welcomed the sentence, praising the prosecution and investigation team for their determination in securing justice for the victim. She also commended the victim and her mother for their resolve and reaffirmed the NPA's commitment to prosecuting cases of gender-based violence.
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