Life imprisonment for man convicted of raping his biological mother
A 32-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Ngwelezane Regional Court
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A 32-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Ngwelezane Regional Court after he was convicted of raping and assaulting his biological mother.
According to KwaZulu National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Regional Spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, the offences occurred in the Nseleni area near Empangeni, where the accused and the complainant lived on the same homestead.
"On the evening of December 01, 2024, the complainant was lying in bed with her minor granddaughter when the accused knocked on her door. Upon opening it, the accused began shouting at her, accusing her of speaking about him to other people.
"Despite her denial, he made threatening remarks and proceeded to undress before physically assaulting her by slapping and punching her. He then forced her onto the bed and raped her, in the presence of the minor child," Ramkisson-Kara said.
"In an attempt to escape, the complainant asked for permission to go outside to drink water. When the accused allowed her to do so, the child followed her. The complainant then took the child and fled to a neighbouring homestead, where they spent the night. Due to shock and embarrassment, she initially only reported the assault to her neighbours".
The following morning, the complainant disclosed the full extent of the assault to a relative and was taken to the police, where a case was opened. She was also referred to the Ngwelezane Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) for medical and legal support.
The accused fled the scene but was arrested two weeks later after being apprehended by his cousins and handed over to the police. During the trial, the State presented evidence from the complainant, the investigating officer, and a medical practitioner, and also submitted a Victim Impact Statement detailing the trauma suffered.
"In her statement, the complainant described feeling horrified and deeply violated, stating that she never imagined her own child would commit such an act against her".
"The court ordered that the sentences of life imprisonment and 10 years’ imprisonment run concurrently, resulting in an effective sentence of life imprisonment. The accused was also declared unfit to possess a firearm".
mthobisi.nozulela@iol.co.za
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