In South Africa, father sentenced to life for raping 14-year-old daughter — TimesLIVE

The Regional Court of Hartswater in South Africa’s Northern Cape province sentenced a 41-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping his 14-year-old daughter. The court also found him guilty of one count of sexual assault. DNA testing confirmed that the man is the biological father of the child born to the victim.

As TimesLIVE reports, the court concluded that the prosecution had proved the case beyond a reasonable doubt and rejected the defendant’s version. His name has not been disclosed to protect the victim’s privacy and dignity.

Circumstances of the case

The crime occurred on October 7, 2021, when the man invited his children to his home for a birthday celebration. According to National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane, the following morning, after the younger children had left the room, the man prevented the girl from leaving the bed and then sexually assaulted and raped her.

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The victim testified in court that she called for help, but no one heard her because of loud music. Afterwards, the man threatened to kill members of the girl’s family on her mother’s side if she told anyone about what she had endured.

DNA confirmation

The crime became known after the girl gave birth to a child at home in July 2022 with the help of her 18-year-old cousin. They were later both taken to hospital. Since the mother was a minor, medical staff established the circumstances of the pregnancy and the identity of the child’s father, after which the case was reported to the police.

During the investigation, the girl told law enforcement officers that the child’s father was her biological father. The defendant denied the charges and claimed that the case had allegedly been fabricated by his wife’s relatives, but he was unable to explain the DNA test results.