An elderly man was sentenced to life imprisonment for raping his step-granddaughter, aged eight. The 67-year-old was sentenced at the Ga-Rankuwa Regional Court.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said he was also registered on the national register of sexual offenders and the court declared him unfit to possess a firearm.
"His conviction emanates from incidents that occurred between January 2017, and December 2018, in Klipgat, where the accused stayed with the complainant and her grandmother, who he was in a relationship with," said NPA spokesperson in the North West division, Henry Mamothame.
He said evidence led in court revealed that the grandfather raped the girl whenever the grandmother went out of the house to run errands.
The girl's aunt noticed her strange behaviour in December 2018, as she was crying constantly and no longer playing with her friends.
Upon enquiring, she told her aunt about the rape.
"The matter was reported to the police and she was subsequently taken for a medical check, which confirmed that the child was violated," he said.
The child rapist was arrested, but the court granted him R1,000. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Mamothame said in aggravation of the sentence, advocate Mummy Mosonodi urged the court not to deviate from the minimum prescribed sentence of life imprisonment. She further argued that the grandpa took advantage of a child whom he was supposed to protect as she trusted him.
"Magistrate Aggrey Sephoti agreed with the State and remarked that the courts have a responsibility to send a strong message to perpetrators of such offences meant to violate women, children and the elderly," Mamothame said.
IOL