Dennilton child rapist gets life in prison

GROBLERSDAL

The Groblersdal Regional Court has on Tuesday 25 February handed down a life imprisonment against a 52-year-old male accused of raping his stepdaughter, who was then 11 years old at the time of the incident.

The accused could not be named to protect the identity of the victim.

Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, Limpopo Provincial Police Spokesperson, said the court heard that on 30 October 2019 at about 15:00, a girl victim, aged 11, was taken by her 52-year-old father and drove with her to an unknown house in the bush at Bloempoort Village in Dennilton policing area.

“The suspect told the victim that they were going to live in that house from that day. The suspect then tied the victim’s hands with a cable and thereafter and raped her. He then threatened to kill the victim’s mother if she told anyone about the incident,” explained Ledwaba.

He added that in 2022, the victim confided to a family member and told her about the ordeal where police were notified and a rape case was opened against the suspect.

“The case was assigned to Sergeant Thabitha Letladi of Groblersdal Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit for further investigations. The suspect was subsequently arrested and he was found guilty of contravention of provisions of section 3 of act 32 of 2007, a case of rape,” said Ledwaba.

Provincial Commissioner of the Police in Limpopo, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, has welcomed the final decision by court for handing down a hefty sentence of life imprisonment against the accused. She further praised the investigating officer and everyone involved in the matter until the sentencing.