A 68-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for raping a six-year-old girl who knew him as “grandpa”.
He was convicted of raping the six-year-old girl in March 2025 in the eBaswazini area of northern KwaZulu-Natal. Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, the National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson, said the man was known to the child as a neighbour.
“Evidence presented in court revealed that on the day of the incident, the complainant was returning home from school when she encountered the accused on the road. He grabbed her by the hand and instructed her to accompany him to his homestead. When she questioned why, he covered her mouth and forcibly took her to his home, where he raped her,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
After raping the child, the man threatened the child and warned her not to tell anyone about what had happened, before sending her home.
However, the child reported the incident to her mother, who alerted the police. Ramkisson-Kara said the child was subsequently taken to a nearby hospital for medical examination and treatment. The man was later arrested after being positively identified by the child.
According to the NPA, State Prosecutor Phumlani Thembalethu Khoza led the evidence of three witnesses in the Mtubatuba Regional Court: the child; her mother, who testified as the first-report witness; and the medical doctor who examined the child.
Position of trust abused
The State also submitted a victim impact statement compiled by the child’s mother and facilitated by court preparation officer Sithembile Cebekhulu.
“In the statement, the mother detailed the emotional trauma, pain, and lasting impact the offence has had on the child and their family,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
The NPA stated that the man’s name would be entered into both the National Register for Sex Offenders and the National Child Protection Register.
“The NPA trusts that sentences of this nature will serve as a strong deterrent to perpetrators who prey on vulnerable members of society. The accused abused a position of trust and exploited the vulnerability of a young child. Children are among the most vulnerable members of society and deserve the highest level of protection from all forms of abuse, violence, and exploitation,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
zainul.dawood@iol.co.za
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