File
A 78-year-old former Eastern Cape policeman has been jailed for life for raping his granddaughter 18 years ago.
The National Prosecuting Authority said the former Captain was sentenced in the Sterkspruit Regional Court on Wednesday.
NPA spokesperson, Luxulo Tyali, said evidence before the court was that the rape took place sometime in 2002 when the former cop who was stationed in the Free State, visited his home village near Sterkspruit.
He said the court heard that the policeman had taken all his grandchildren, including the victim, in his bakkie to visit his parent’s home in the same village.
“When they arrived at his parent’s homestead they found no one but the houses were open. He called the unsuspecting victim inside one of the houses, leaving other children playing outside. He then raped the minor and thereafter drove back to his home with all children,” Tyali said.
He said when they returned home the child reported the incident to her grandmother.
“When confronted with the allegations by his wife, the man denied he raped the child. As a result, the victim was accused of lying about an elderly person and was punished by the grandmother by way of assault with a wooden stick.”
Tyali said the case remained unreported until 9 November 2016.
During the trial, the grandfather pleaded not guilty, claiming that he did know her and that she had fabricated the evidence against him due to an ongoing family feud.
However, Tyali said state advocate, Loyiso Methuso, was able to prove the allegations to the court and the grandfather was duly convicted and sentenced.
“The NPA welcomes the sentence with the hope that it will encourage other victims of rape to come forward and report even if they were abused a long time ago,” Tyali said.
