Siphelele Nketo

THE Port Shepstone Regional Court has sentenced a child rapist (45) to life imprisonment and declared him unfit to possess a firearm.

The court further ordered his name to be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.

A child (11) was raped in 2022 by the suspect who lived in the same area as the victim. The rape incident came to light after the child’s mother noticed her walking unusually and reported to the police.

The suspect was later arrested, and in court, Prosecutor Chad Davey led the testimony of the complainant, her mother and her friend.

The state also presented evidence from the medical practitioner who examined the complainant and documented her injuries, explained Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, the NPA regional spokesperson for the KZN division.

“The NPA remains steadfast in its commitment to combatting sexual offences and gender-based violence. This commitment is strengthened by the continued expansion of the Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) network, which has grown from 55 centres in 2020/2021 to 66 centres currently operational across the country,” Ramkisson-Kara added. She further said that centres provide integrated medical, legal and psychosocial services to survivors, thereby enhancing the quality of prosecutions.