22 years old man gets life sentence plus 12 months for raping an 83 years old disabled woman
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A 22 years old young man has been sentenced to life sentence and 12 months in prison for the rape of an 83 years old woman in Ntshawini area near KwaDukuza by the regional court in the area.
The incident which is said to have occurred November 2018 was towards a victim who is physically challenged and relied on a wheelchair to move around.
The young man who was known to the victim, entered her home in the early hours of the morning and dropped her from the bed onto the floor and repeatedly banged her head on the cement before raping.
He later on stole her bag, containing R27 and fled the scene after raping her. She waited till the next morning and called out for help when her neighbour walked past.
The Regional Spokesperson of the DPP Natasha Kara said that victim was taken to hospital for treatment where she also received psycho-social intervention at the KwaDukuza Thuthuzela Care Centre.
Kara also said that the victim’s physical and gynaecological injuries where confirmed by a medical doctor in court led by the state, prosecutor Ronita Lutchman.
“Adv Lutchman also submitted DNA evidence and the testimony of the victim’s daughter, who was the first report. The daughter said that her mother was able to identify the accused as she saw what he was wearing and recognised him as he had visited her grandsons several times before. The description of the accused coupled with a description of his clothes assisted the police in his arrest.”
She added that the convict denied the victim’s claims and said that he spent the night of the incident drinking with his friends and later went home.
His friends could not however confirm that he had gone straight home in his defence.
“The state also submitted a victim impact statement compiled by the victim and facilitated by court preparation officer Princess Mlangeni. In the statement the victim said that no words could describe the trauma she suffered during the incident. She was a helpless old lady, who could not fight back.”
“She considered the accused to be like her grandson and he took advantage of her vulnerability” said Kara. The Director of Public Prosecutions in KwaZulu-Natal, Adv Elaine Zungu welcomed the conviction and sentence.
“Gender Based Violence (GBV), needs to be fought vigorously as this type of crime is rife in our society. The victim in this matter was not only 83 years old but was also physically challenged and thus unable to defend herself against a 22-year-old male.”
