Stepfather who repeatedly raped stepdaughter and impregnated her sentenced to life - IOL

A girl became pregnant and gave birth to her stepfather's after being repeatedly raped between the ages of 11 and 13 .

A 35-year-old man from the Northern Cape has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Kimberley Sexual Offences Court for the repeated rape of his stepdaughter. 

The man cannot be named to protect the identity and dignity of the girl, who is a minor. 

The stepfather was convicted on charges of rape and sexual grooming. The court heard the crimes were committed between 2018 and 2021, when the girl was between the ages of 11 and 13. 

It was further revealed in court that the repeated rapes resulted in the girl falling pregnant. Paternity testing confirmed the stepfather was the biological father of the child born to her. 

Evidence presented during the trial established that the man used violence and threats to intimidate the girl and prevent her from resisting or disclosing the abuse. He disguised his physical assaults as chastisement or discipline, thereby abusing the authority he exercised over her.

When the girl attempted to disclose the abuse to her mother, the man assaulted both of them. The court heard she was consequently subjected to an environment of violence, fear and intimidation that made it difficult for her to escape the abuse or obtain protection.

The authorities became aware of the matter after social workers discovered the circumstances and reported them to the police. The ensuing investigation included paternity testing, which confirmed the stepfather’s biological relationship to the victim’s child.

During the trial, the man denied the allegations and claimed that the girl had enticed and seduced him. The court rejected his version as improbable, noting, among other considerations, that it had not been put to the girl during cross-examination.

In aggravation of sentence, the State presented a victim impact statement which detailed the profound impact of the offences on the victim and demonstrated how the man had abused the trust and authority vested in him as a parental figure.

The court found no substantial and compelling circumstances justifying a deviation from the prescribed minimum sentence. It accordingly sentenced the man to life imprisonment for rape, taking into account that he had raped the victim repeatedly and that she was under the age of 16 when the offences were committed.

The man was also sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment for sexual grooming. This sentence will run concurrently with the life sentence.

The court further declared the man unfit to possess a firearm and ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders. He was also declared unsuitable to work with children.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomed the conviction and sentencing. 

The regional spokesperson for the NPA, Mojalefa Senokoatsane, said it regards the sentence as an important judicial response to the sexual exploitation of a child by a person entrusted with her care and protection.

“Those who abuse positions of trust to prey on vulnerable children must face the full consequences of their actions,” Senokoatsane said. 

The NPA encouraged victims of sexual offences, particularly children, to report abuse to the police, social workers or trusted adults who can assist them in accessing protection and bringing the matter to the attention of the relevant authorities.

“The NPA remains committed to vigorously prosecuting sexual offences and ensuring that victims and survivors are treated with dignity throughout the criminal justice process,” Senokoatsane said.