A Cape Town rapist already serving a life sentence for raping and infecting a minor relative with HIV and a sexually transmitted disease (STD) was sentenced for the same crime against another minor relative.
The now 43-year-old man from Du Noon was sentenced in the Cape Town Regional Court to life imprisonment.
He cannot be named as he is related to the victims, and to avoid indirect identification and secondary victimisation of the girls.
On October 25 last year, the same court convicted him for raping, attempting to murder and infecting a seven-year-old minor relative with HIV and STD.
At the time, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape and 10 years direct imprisonment for the attempted murder.
The Western Cape spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Eric Ntabazalila said the court ordered the sentences imposed were ordered to run concurrently.
“The court ordered his name to be entered into the National Register of Sex Offenders, which prohibited him from working with vulnerable groups and that he may not apply to adopt a child or be a foster parent. If he wanted to, he must disclose the sentence against him,” Ntabazalila said.
“Failure to declare is a criminal offence punishable with a direct prison sentence or a fine. He must inform future employers of the sentence and the orders handed down by the court which also declared him unfit to possess a firearm.”
In the present case, the court found no compelling or substantial circumstances to justify a deviation from the prescribed minimum sentence.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment and the court ordered the sentence handed down in this case to run concurrently with the sentence imposed on October 25, 2023.
“The court ordered his name to be entered into the National Register of Sex Offenders, declared him unsuitable to work with children and further ordered his name be included in the National Child Protection Register,” Ntabazalila said.
“The court also declared him unfit to possess a firearm and made an order of search and seizure.”
The court heard the victim in this case was his brother’s stepdaughter.
Sexual Offences Prosecutor, Ruwayda Badrudeen told the court the rapist was arrested in May 2022, and while out on bail, he raped a minor, for which he was sentenced last year.
Badrudeen explained to the court that the rapist’s brother married the victim’s mother and regarded the child as his own.
The victim saw her rapist as her uncle after he moved into their home after his brother was bedridden for injuries sustained.
She submitted the accused took advantage of the child’s vulnerability as a child and abused his position of trust.
His actions led to his brother and sister-in-law separating.
The court heard the victim is currently receiving trauma counselling as she struggles to sleep and struggles to trust men.
Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, advocate Nicolette Bell welcomed the ruling handed down by the court.