Durban — The 21-year-old woman who was raped and impregnated by her father said that even though the 15 years’ imprisonment sentence handed to her father was a disappointment, she was relieved that he was behind bars.
“He deserved to be handed a life sentence for what he did, 15 years is just too little,” said the woman.
Her father, 41, was sentenced in the Camperdown Magistrate’s Court. He was arrested on June 25 after having been on the run since May 5.
DNA forensic evidence presented in court confirmed that the 41-year-old, who pleaded guilty, was indeed the father of the victim’s little boy.
His arrest was as a result of a warrant of arrest that had been issued after he failed to appear in court on May 6.
In 2018 and 2019 when the woman was 17, her father raped and impregnated her, but it was not until 2020 that she laid charges against him. After there was no progress with the case she took to social media, pleading for help and sharing her story.
She said that an NGO, Thuleleni Crime and Substance Awareness Organisation, helped her have a DNA test done.
In September last year the results of the DNA came back, following which police said the suspect would be sought.
He made his first appearance in January and in March appeared again, where the matter was adjourned to May 6.
The day before the court date when he absconded, the 41-year-old, unaware that DNA tests had already been done, kidnapped the toddler.
It was during a search by the community in Inanda that he was seen leaving the child at a tavern.
The rape had occurred at the time when he was with his children in the Hammarsdale area after their mother had left.
After the rapes, the teen, now aged 21, moved to live with her mother. However, when she opened a case they had to move homes more than once after receiving death threats from her father.
The mother of the now 3-year-old toddler, who has not been told who his father is, said her biggest hope now was that her father not even be considered for parole when the time came.
“The lawyer who was helping us said that they would do everything in their power to ensure that he remains behind bars. I don’t want him to get the opportunity to be released on parole.”
She said that she was now looking forward to the future and she planned to go back to school next year.
“I’m currently working. However, I’m enrolled for varsity next year to study biomedical science.”
South African Child Rights activist Joan van Niekerk echoed the woman’s sentiments, describing the sentence as appallingly inadequate taking into consideration that the man absconded, evaded police, and also kidnapped the toddler.
“When he kidnapped the child he knew that the DNA would irrefutably prove that he was the father. He not only ruined his daughter’s life but that of his son/grandchild.
“What can be distressing to a child growing up is knowing that you are a product of rape and that your grandfather and father are one person. This man is likely to serve half his sentence – it shows we need to educate our magistrates as to the inappropriateness of such a short sentence.”
She said it was also important that the mother received counselling and guidance on the issue of her son when he was older.
Daily News