Father jailed for 22 years for rape and sexual assault of daughters

A Mpumalanga father has been sentenced to an effective 22 years’ imprisonment for raping one of his biological daughters and sexually assaulting another, in a case that laid bare a devastating betrayal of parental trust.

The Boschfontein Regional Court handed down the sentence on Tuesday, 6 October 2026.

His identity is being withheld to protect the victims.

Trial

During proceedings, the court heard that in the first incident, the man’s daughter, who was 12 years old at the time, was at her parents’ home in 2022 when her father molested her.

In the second incident, which also happened in 2022, the other victim, who was eight years old at the time, was sleeping with both her parents when the father raped her.

Arrest and sentence

Police spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo said both incidents were reported at Malelane Police Station on 18 October 2024, and police arrested the father on 19 October 2024.

“The matter was investigated by the Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit, and the investigating officer worked tirelessly to gather all the evidence, which resulted in the successful conviction and sentencing of the perpetrator.

“On Monday, 05 October 2026, the perpetrator was found guilty and sentenced as follows:

• On Count 1 – Rape: 15 years’ direct imprisonment
• On Count 2 – Sexual Assault: 7 years’ direct imprisonment.”

The court ordered that the sentences run concurrently and that the accused’s name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.

Sentence welcomed

The Provincial Commissioner of the Saps in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Apaphia Modise, welcomed the sentence and commended the investigation team, the prosecution team, and the Judiciary for securing justice for the children.

“This is a betrayal of trust by a father who was supposed to protect his own children. We welcome this lengthy sentence and the fact that a predator has been removed from society.

“We hope that this sentence sends a strong message that crimes against children will never be tolerated. We commend the victims for their bravery, their family and the school for reporting, and Warrant Officer Dladla for his thorough investigation,” said Modise.