Free State father sentenced to life for raping teenage daughter

A 51-year-old Free State father has been sentenced to life imprisonment for raping his 15-year-old daughter.

The man, whose identity has been withheld to protect the child’s dignity and privacy, raped the teen while she was in his care at the family home in Vogelfontein, Bohlokong, on 9 August 2020.

Father raped daughter while she was in his care

The girl’s paternal grandmother, who had been living with her in Sasolburg, had travelled to work, leaving her granddaughter in what was supposed to be the trusted hands of her father.

However, the father raped her. The daughter reported the abuse to a family friend the following morning.

When confronted, the man denied the allegations.

The daughter then sought assistance from the Bohlokong Thuthuzela Care Centre, which provides integrated support and services to victims of sexual offences and gender-based violence.

DNA evidence links father to rape

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane said during the trial, state prosecutor Vusumuzi Nhlapo presented DNA evidence linking the accused to the offence.

“The DNA report confirmed that the DNA profile obtained from the victim matched that of the accused,” Senokoatsane said on Friday.

“In imposing life imprisonment, the court recognised the seriousness of the offence and the accused’s gross abuse of the position of trust and responsibility he held as the victim’s father,” he added.

Senokoatsane said the NPA welcomed the sentence as a strong affirmation that those who sexually abuse children, including those who exploit positions of trust within families, will be pursued and held accountable through the criminal justice system.

“Children should be safest in the care of their parents and caregivers. When that position of trust is abused to perpetrate sexual violence, the NPA will vigorously prosecute such matters and seek sentences that reflect the seriousness of these crimes,” the spokesperson said.

“This life sentence demonstrates the consequences that await perpetrators who prey on vulnerable children.”