A young man from the Northern Cape has been sentenced to 13 years imprisonment in the Victoria West Regional Court.
Wynand Morris, 20, was convicted on two counts of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault on two of his childhood friends.
The provincial spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Mojalefa Senokoatsane said the first incident took place on April 7, 2023.
Morris attempted raping his 22-year-old childhood friend after asking to walk her home, he made advances to her, this included squeezing her breasts and requesting sex.
When the friend refused, the court heard Morris became violent, throwing her to the ground and attempting to undress her.
The pair struggled and during this time Morris stabbed her in the face and head with a broken bottle. In her defence, she managed to stab Morris and escape to her aunt’s house.
The incident was reported to the police and Morris was arrested and charged with rape.
While he was out on bail, on August 19, 2023, Morris attacked another childhood friend, a 17-year-old girl.
The court heard he offered his friend beer in exchange for sex, when she refused he violently threw her to the ground and attempted to undress her.
A torchlight from a passer-by’s phone startled him and he fled the scene.
The teenager reported the matter to the police and Morris was arrested.
State prosecutor, Xolisa March argued that similar actions in both incidents indicated a clear modus operandi.
March also emphasised to the court that he committed the second attempted rape while out on bail for the first crime and this demonstrated his disregard of the law.
During his sentencing the court further declared Morris unfit to possess a firearm and ordered his name be entered into the National Register for Sexual Offenders.
“The NPA remains committed to combating gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), ensuring that perpetrators are held accountable for crimes that infringe upon the dignity and privacy of victims, as protected under the Constitution,” Senokoatsane said.
IOL