The Grahamstown High Court has sentenced a 53-year-old man to life imprisonment for raping his stepdaughter for ten years, while fully aware that he was HIV positive.
The National Prosecuting Authority says the rapes began when the then 11-year-old girl moved in with her mother and stepfather in Komani in 2008.
NPA spokesperson Anelisa Ngcakani says the victim finally broke her silence in September 2018 after also being severely assaulted by her stepfather, to the extent that she sustained a broken wrist and bruises all over her body.
During Thursday's sentencing proceedings, the stepfather was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape and 10-years imprisonment for attempted murder as he raped the girl while he knew that he was HIV positive.
He was further sentenced to five-years imprisonment for assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and 12-months for assault.
The NPA welcomed the sentence and added that his application for leave to appeal the sentence of life imprisonment was refused.
