KZN man handed life sentence for rape of 13-year-old in 2020

A 56-year-old man has been sentenced to life behind bars for the rape of a teenager in Hlobane near Vryheid in December 2020.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the victim, was convicted of the rape last week in the Vryheid Magistrate's Court, and the same court handed down a sentence on Thursday.

At the time of the incident in December 2020, the victim was 13 years old, and the convict was known to her as he was dating her mother.

While the victim has expressed in a statement to the court that she was still haunted by the violation, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the case

NPA spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said: "In addition to the life sentence, he was declared unfit to possess a firearm and the court ordered his name to be entered in the National Register of Sex Offenders.”

She added that the prosecution has praised the completion of the case: "The NPA welcomes the successful finalisation of this matter."