Durban - A 42-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison after he pleaded guilty to the rape of an 11-year-old girl in the Hibberdene area on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast.
The Scottburgh Regional Court sentenced the accused on Friday.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said the rape was committed in March 2019.
“On the day of the incident, the child, who was mentally challenged, was on her way home from the shop, when he accosted her,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
She said the accused dragged the girl into a bushy area and raped her before fleeing
“The child reported this to her mother, and they informed the police. The child was taken to the Port Shepstone Thuthuzela Care Centre, where she received the necessary services, counselling and support,” she said.
Ramkisson-Kara said while the accused was not arrested immediately because he was not known to the family, he was arrested in another matter two years later.
She said DNA swabs taken during the second incident positively linked him to the rape of the minor.
The matter was successfully finalised by Regional Court Prosecutor Christelle Rossouw, she added.
“The NPA welcomes the successful finalisation of this matter,” said Ramkisson-Kara.