A 43-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison for raping his 12-year-old niece. For three years following the incident, the accused continued to harass the girl until her mother reluctantly took action, opening a case against him.
Simao Hlongwane's sentencing was handed down by the Ga-Rankuwa Regional Court, and it was further ordered that his name be registered in the National Register of Sexual Offenders.
According to details revealed during the trial, the victim and her mother lived in Mothotlung, a short distance from the accused's home.
On January 17, 2017, the accused sent the complaint to his other stand to clean a shack. He then followed her and raped her in the shack.
The victim reported the matter to her 15-year-old sister, who then informed their mother, who however failed to report the matter to the police.
On January 23, 2021, the victim, who was 15 years old at the time, reported her uncle to the police, afraid of being raped again, since the accused had been touching her inappropriately over a period of time.
Since the victim was a minor at the time, police summoned her mother to assist the child in opening the case. However, the mother was hesitant and not supportive of the daughter's actions since the accused is the family's primary income provider.
Henry Mamothame, North West NPA spokesperson, said: "In the pre-sentence report, the mother described the accused to be a generous person. The accused's wife also described him as a person who believes in religious values and prayer, and he is affiliated with a Christian church, where he is a preacher."
According to State prosecutor Mummy Mosonodi, the accused failed to demonstrate moral and religious values by committing an offence against his religious beliefs.
In light of this, the court was urged not to deviate from the minimum sentence of life imprisonment. Accordingly, Magistrate Aggrey Sephothi sentenced Hlongwane to life imprisonment.
Dr Rachel Makhari, the Director of Public Prosecutions in the North West, commended those involved in the case and those who ensured justice for the victim.
IOL