Former government employee and church deacon sentenced to life in prison for raping his niece

In an act unbecoming of a church deacon and former government employee, a 61-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison for raping his niece.

After being raped by her uncle in 2017, the niece of a former employee of the Department of Public Service and Administration suffered from depression and emotional trauma, which negatively affected her academic performance.

The victim, who was 10 years old at the time, was staying with her aunt, who was the defendant’s wife, at the time of the incident.

Niece, 10 years old, raped by her aunt’s husband

On November 12, 2017, the man and his niece moved some of their belongings to a new residence in Mamelodi East, Tsakane section.

Upon arrival, the man, who also serves as a deacon at the International Assemblies of God Church, raped his niece and instructed her not to tell anyone, claiming they were “playing a game.”

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The truth about what happened came to light only a year later, when the aunt found out about the rape and reported to the police on November 18, 2018. On February 2, 2019, a former government employee and church deacon was arrested.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesman Lumka Mahanjana said the uncle pleaded not guilty to rape in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court, claiming his wife conspired to remove him from the family.

Mahanjana, however, said State Attorney spokesman Annelizer Stiles called several witnesses on the stand, including the victim, the doctor and the defendant’s wife, who presented compelling evidence proving the man’s guilt.

The accused claimed that his wife had conspired against him

“Additionally, during the proceedings, Attorney Stiles submitted a Victim Impact Report (VIR) prepared by social workers from the Department of Social Development. The report revealed that the victim suffered significant adverse impact on her academic performance,” Mahanjana said.

The wife also testified in the VIR video that the incident led to the breakdown of her marriage and had a toxic effect on the family dynamic, including estrangement from her older children, who blamed her for their father’s arrest.

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Passing sentence, Justice Ntlanti stressed that the defendant had shown no remorse for his actions, even though he had abused a defenseless child.

As a result, he was sentenced to life in prison and found unfit to possess firearms. The uncle’s name will also be added to the National Sex Offender Register.

Sex offender registry

The NPA welcomed the judgment and reaffirmed its commitment to combating sexual violence and protecting the rights of victims.

“The NPA will continue to hold perpetrators accountable to ensure justice for those affected by such heinous crimes,” Mahanjana said.