A 48 year old man from Roodepan in the Northern Cape, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the rape of an 11 year old girl on Christmas Day in 2024, police announced this week.
The sentence, handed down by a local court, concluded a case that drew attention to the swift intervention of a passerby who discovered the assault in progress.
According to Police, the incident occurred on December 25, 2024. The young victim was walking home when the man accosted her in the street, forcibly dragging her into a nearby shack. Once inside, he undressed the child, threw her onto a bed, and raped her.
The assault was interrupted when a witness passing by noticed the commotion. The bystander forced his way into the shack, where he discovered the accused in the act of raping the child. The witness pulled the man off the victim and immediately alerted the police, who arrived and arrested the suspect at the scene.
A case of rape was registered at the Roodepan Police Station and assigned to Warrant Officer Jakob Johannes du Plessis of the Galeshewe Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit. Investigators successfully opposed all bail applications, ensuring the accused remained in custody through the duration of the legal proceedings.
The court found the man guilty, imposing a 15 year prison sentence. Additionally, the court declared him unfit to possess a firearm.
The District Commissioner of the Frances Baard District, Major General Gabathata Makgari, welcomed the sentence, commending Warrant Officer du Plessis for what he described as a thorough and diligent investigation.