By Jonk wa Mashamba
news@alexreporter.co.za
The Pretoria North Magistrates’ Court has sentenced a dam (39) from Dorandia in Pretoria North to four life terms and 30 years direct imprisonment for four counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault, and exposure to genitals as well as three counts of creation of pornography.
All these offences were committed towards her 5-year-old daughter.
The magistrate ordered that her name be added on the National Register of Sexual Offenders, and she be declared unfit to work with children.
According to Lumka Mahanjana, NPA Regional spokesperson, the dam was in a relationship with a man who is a co-accused in the matter.
“From December 2021 to March 2022, the dam and her boyfriend raped the child, using objects.
“They sexually assaulted her and made the child perform sexual acts on her and her boyfriend. When the boyfriend was at his own place, the dam would take pictures of the child’s private parts, and videos of her performing sexual acts on the child and send it to her boyfriend for his pleasure,” said Mahanjana.
Mahanjana said the dam was arrested on 18 March 2022, after the dam sent a disturbing video clip of the child on WhatsApp to her friend, who then reported the matter to the police.
“In court, the dam pleaded guilty to all 10 charges against her. She told the court that she committed all those offences because she craved the attention of her boyfriend and wanted his approval since she was always at home and taking care of her 15-year-old child living with a disability.”
Through her legal representative she asked the court to deviate from the prescribed sentence and asked for a sentence of 20 years.
However, prosecutor Hanlie Du Preez, asked the court to impose the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment because the dam was in a position of trust.
Preez said the woman woman was supposed to love and protect the child; instead she took advantage of that trust.
Preez told the court that in most cases rapists were not devils with horns, but people who lived amongst others . She said the woman sacrificed her child for a relationship.
The Magistrate agreed with the state and said a long-term direct imprisonment was the only appropriate sentence option that will reflect the seriousness of the offence.
Mahanjana said the NPA welcomes the sentence as fitting in this gruesome case involving a child, especially at this period of the 16 Days of Activism against violence on women and children.
Her co-accused will appear at regional court 1 on 02 February 2023 for possible plea.
Pic supplied.