Court sentenced a father who raped his daughter 24 years behind bars

Crime/ 13 October 2022, 08:17am / Staff Writer

Inside prison cell: image supplied 

By Staff Writer: Sasolburg regional court sentenced a 37-year-old father to 24 years in prison for repeatedly raping his 11-year-old daughter.

According to the Free State National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson, Phaladi Shuping, the court heard how the man repeatedly raped his daughter between August 2020 and November 2021 at their home when her mother was absent.

The mother noticed her daughter’s unusual behaviour, which had also affected her academic performance, prompting the girl to confide in her mother about the abuse.

According to Shuping, the man pleaded guilty but declined to take responsibility for the abuse, claiming he had been possessed by “demons”.

“The father admitted that he had been raping his daughter, but he blamed the incidents on demons and told the court demons possessed him. The medical examination of the daughter confirmed that she had been violated,” said Shuping.

The victim impact statement report produced by the prosecutor revealed that the girl struggled academically because of the abuse and blamed herself.

The prosecutor argued for life imprisonment, but the defence lawyer pleaded for a shorter sentence because the man had shown remorse by admitting to his crime.

“Magistrate Phumzile Ngewu sentenced the accused to 24 years imprisonment. She also ordered that the accused’s name be included in the National Register for Sex offenders and declared him unfit to possess a firearm,” said Shuping.