A 22-year-old man was sentenced to two life terms imprisonment for repeatedly raping an eight-year-old girl and compelling her sisters aged 11 and four to witness the sexual assault.
Dale Mbhuri Mhlongo was sentenced by the Alexandra Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said the incident took place in 2021 while Mhlongo was entrusted with the care of the children.
“He pounced on the girl when she was busy taking off her school uniform. At some stage, he instructed the 11-year-old to hold the girl’s mouth from screaming when he penetrated her. At that stage, the 4-year-old was in the room watching everything,” she said.
She said the children reported the assault to a teacher at school and the teacher told the aunt who in turn informed the mother and the matter was reported to police.
Prosecutor Percy Ramushu argued that the prevalence of minors being exposed to pornography and sexual violence represents a grave challenge that demands law enforcement and the judiciary to promote safety of children.
“He indicated that he had difficulty consulting with the complainant and had to befriend her to gain her trust to be able to share her ordeal. He asked the court to impose the prescribed sentence which is life imprisonment,” said Mjonondwane.
Meanwhile, Mhlongo’s the attorney asked the court to be lenient towards him and sentence him at least to 10 years because he was still young and has a future ahead of him.
“The NPA will continue fostering a safer environment for children by prosecuting perpetrators of such devastating crimes as we are alive to the fact that the consequences of these crimes are long-lasting and go beyond physical harm,” added Mjonondwane.
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