ADVOCACY group Ilitha Labantu has welcomed the life imprisonment of a local preacher who was found guilty of raping his stepdaughter for months during 2019.
Last Friday, the Cape Town Sexual Offences Court secured a life sentence against the 40-year-old man, who can't be named to protect the identity of his victim, for repeatedly raping a ten-year-old child.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said that the accused, who is a respected member of the community and a preacher at a church in Du Noon, raped the girl between June 2019 and December 2019.
“The victim lived in Du Noon with her mother and the accused who was her stepfather. The accused raped the victim when her mother was at work and the accused was alone at home with the victim. He raped her on three occasions during this period. The victim did not tell anyone as she was afraid that the accused would hurt or kill her. In February 2020, the victim told her mother after she saw a discharge on her panty. He was arrested, and on Friday, he was sentenced to life imprisonment,” said Ntabazalila.
Ilitha Labantu spokesperson Siyabulela Monakali said: “As an organisation that advocates for the rights of women and children, we welcome the sentence imposed on the accused and appeal to our justice system to treat all cases of gender-based violence with the same level of seriousness they deserve. We also appeal to all stakeholders to work together to try and bring light to this issue both in our homes and in our communities, working together is our greatest ally in helping to defeat this monstrous scourge.”