Durban court sentences Malawian man to life imprisonment for raping 13-year-old neighbour
A Malawian man has received two life sentences for the repeated rape of his 13-year-old neighbour in Durban.
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A Malawian man who was found guilty of raping his 13-year-old neighbour has been handed two terms of life imprisonment for the crimes.
He was also found guilty of contravening the Immigration Act and was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for this crime. The sentences will run concurrently.
The Durban Regional Court recently sentenced the 25-year-old man for the rape (on two occasions) of a girl who was 13 years old at the time.
The complainant and her mother lived on the same property as the accused.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson for KwaZulu-Natal, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, said the accused raped the complainant in September and November 2024 and on both occasions he did so after calling the complainant to his room.
“After raping her he would threaten to kill her and her mother if she told anyone what he had done. He further threatened to bewitch her with ‘muthi’ that he had obtained from his home country.
“The matter eventually came to light when the complainant confided in her mother. The mother then told the landlord what had happened, and the police were called. The accused was arrested thereafter, and the complainant was taken to a nearby hospital for medical assistance. ”
She said State prosecutor Khanyi Sabelo led the testimony of four witnesses, namely the complainant, her mother, the landlord, and the medical doctor who had examined the complainant.
The State also handed in Victim Impact Statements (VIS) compiled by the complainant and her mother, and facilitated by Court Preparation Officer, Nondumiso Nyembe.
In her VIS, the complainant said that she cannot get over what happened and feels embarrassed because other children know what happened to her and they talk about her.
In her statement, the mother said that the complainant’s behaviour has changed since the incident, she has become disruptive and rebellious.
Ramkisson-Kara said the court ordered that the accused's name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders and he was declared unfit to possess a firearm.