The Empangeni Regional Court has convicted and sentenced prisoner Sibusiso Thokozani Manqele, 39, to 15 years imprisonment for raping a 24-year-old fellow inmate, KwaZulu-Natal police said on Saturday.
"In May 2017 the victim was inside his prison cell at a prison in Empangeni when the accused left his prison cell, entered the victim’s cell and threatened to stab him with a sharpened toothbrush, then raped him," Colonel Thembeka Mbhele said.
"The accused left a terrified victim inside his cell and went. The victim reported the incident to a prison warder. Empangeni police were alerted about the incident and a case of rape was opened."
The case was transferred to the Empangeni family violence, child protection, and sexual offences unit for investigation. Manqele was immediately charged with rape and taken to court and successfully prosecuted.
"He was convicted and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. This proves that there is justice in this country to anyone who has been a victim of crime regardless of who you are. The sentence will send a message to others who think that they can get away with a crime committed whilst in custody," Mbhele said.
- African News Agency (ANA),