The Mbombela sexual offences court on Thursday sentenced a man who raped his girlfriend’s 12-year-old daughter in 2017 to 22 years’ imprisonment.
The 32-year-old man lived together with the survivor’s mother in Salubindza Trust and committed the crime on the Easter weekend in 2017, when the mother visited her family and left her child with the accused for a few days.
“While she was sleeping in bed with other children, the accused undressed her and raped her. She reported the incident to her mother and sister and the accused was eventually arrested,” National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Mnica Nyuswa said.
Nyuswa said the man was granted bail but absconded. He was later rearrested.
The man denied the rape allegations. However, the state presented a medical report which confirmed the survivor had sustained injuries due to forced sexual intercourse.
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