By REGINALD KANYANE
A man (33) was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Potchefstroom Regional Court for kidnapping and rape. On 27 July 2020, the accused, Daniel Mathuse, who is the uncle to the victim (9), tried to lure her away from where she was playing with her brother, but she refused.
Mathuse then took her by force and later raped her near the dam in Extension 6 in Ikageng Township, Potchefstroom.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in North West Sivenathi Gunya said, people went to search for the child and found her with the accused. Gunya said this comes after it was reported that her uncle forcefully removed her from where she was playing.
“The child reported to the witness what happened and Mathuse was subsequently arrested. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges in court, but later, after the evidence of the victim was led and the DNA report became available, he made a formal admission in terms of Section 220 of Criminal Procedure Act,” he said.
In aggravation of sentence, state prosecutor Hester Pretorious, argued that the court should give a deterrence sentence to the accused, as he violated the rights of the young girl. She further argued that Mathuse was supposed to protect his niece, instead he sexually assaulted her and took away her dignity and her confidence.
“There is a scourge of violence against women and children in the country and the court must protect the victims. So, we urge the court not to deviate from the imposed minimum sentence of life imprisonment,” added Pretorious.
Meanwhile, the Director of Public Prosecutions in the North West, Dr Rachel Makhari, lauded the prosecutor, the police and other role players, who ensured that justice was served to the victim. She said the DPP hopes this sentence will serve as a deterrent to other relatives that violate the rights of children in their households, instead of protecting them.
“We encourage relatives to play the parenting role and urge the community to report any acts of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) to the relevant authorities,” said Makhari.
The Guardian 