Former tennis star and convicted rapist Bob Hewitt is set to start serving his six-year prison sentence, after the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein dismissed an appeal against his sentence on Thursday.
The 76-year-old former doubles Grand Slam winning champion was found guilty on two counts of rape and one of sexual assault in March last year, after abusing three women while he was their tennis coach in the 1980s and 90s. The women were still minors at the time.
Hewitt has been out on bail of R10,000 pending the outcome of his appeal. He had been granted leave to appeal his sentence only, and not his conviction.
The organisation Woman and Men Against Child Abuse (WMACA) issued the following statement:
‘We are satisfied and welcome the Supreme Court of Appeal’s judgement today and we applaud the courage and bravery of Hewitt’s victims for putting their lives at risk and on hold to force justice to prevail at last!’says Miranda Friedmann, Founding Director of WMACA, ‘no person committing crimes against children should get away with it because of any power they wield through their fame or wealth or however long ago they abused children! Hewitt is a convicted child rapist– worst of the worst – nothing more horrific to be found guilty of in this world!’
‘In WMACA’s view the prison sentence handed to Hewitt May 18, 2015 is more than fair to him and unjust to the complainants! The heinous crime of raping a child no matter when or how it occurred should consistently carry a life sentence if our society wishes to eradicate the scourge and devastating consequences of rape in our country!’
‘As one of his victims told us – he should spend thirty years in jail – to pay back the time he stole from their lives’.
On May 18, 2015, Judge Bam sentenced Hewitt to eight years each for each of the two counts of rape and two years for indecent assault. Two years of each sentence was suspended for two years, provided he paid an amount on each count towards a department of justice programme against the abuse of women and children.
‘Abuse is about power and the State is finally taking Hewitt’s power away from him and is imprisoning him to feel what it’s like to be imprisoned by something that you have no control over – Hewitt must be held accountable for his crimes against children for the sake of justice and his victims, as well as to give other victims confidence in our justice system should they wish to disclose abuse – furthermore Hewitt must be punished as a deterrent to other would be child rapists’.
‘This is an iconic case – and we applaud the State for sending out a strong message against the abuse of children - what it has shown is that no-one is exempt from the law!’
