Ex-UNESWA employee gets 15 years for rape
MBABANE – “You knew as a senior citizen of the country that having sexual intercourse with a minor was a serious offence but you chose to be a pervert”.
These were Mbabane Principal Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi’s words directed to former University of Eswatini (UNESWA) employee, David Ocean Ceko (64) before she sentenced him to 15 years imprisonment without an option of a fine for raping a minor, aged 16.
Ceko of Mantjolo, who is also a former member of the Royal Kraal’s Inner Council (bandlancane) appeared before Principal Magistrate Nhlabatsi on Friday for sentencing.
He is said to have tricked the minor by promising her marriage at the time he committed the sexual activities.
Ceko was found guilty of having sexual intercourse with the minor without the use of protection, exposing the minor to sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
He was formally charged under the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act No.15 of 2018.
The rape ordeal is said to have occurred in 2018.
He is said to have contravened Section 3(1) as read with Section 3(2), 3(3) (c) together with 3(9) (b) of the SODV Act, by having sexual intercourse with a 16-year-old minor.
Factors
The charge sheet states that the offence is accompanied by aggravating factors as envisaged by Section 185 bis of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act No. 67 of 1938, in that:
The sexual act upon the victim was occasioned over a long period.
The accused person did not use protection during the commission of the offence, thus exposing the victim to the risk of contracting STIs and HIV/AIDS.
The victim was a minor who in law is incapable of appreciating the nature of the sexual act upon her.
When appearing before the court, Ceko was accompanied by his counsel, Bandzile Hlophe. All along, Noncedo Ndlangamandla had been the convict’s attorney.
Before issuing the judgment, Nhlabatsi stated that the rape offence committed by Ceko was a serious one and it ended up affecting the child psychologically.
“The offence committed against the girl changed her for the worst as she started engaging in other sexual activities,” said Nhlabatsi.
The principal magistrate further stated that the convict never disputed being in a love relationship with the minor and thus promised to marry her.
She said members of the community tried to reprimand the convict from doing such, but he encouraged the minor to run away from her family thus destroying her future.
She said: “When the child’s mother, who was a friend to the convict, reacted, her child tried to commit suicide by ingesting tablets. This act distorted the minor’s family.”
Dignity
Furthermore, she said rape was not only disgusting but horrible and above all, a crime that undermines the rights of the complainant. She further criticised the convict for destroying the victim’s dignity.
“The accused person was like a grandfather to the complainant. He further gave money to the complainant promising to marry her, which never happened.
He did that out of arrogance and also playing a mind game.
You ruined her future,” she said. The principal magistrate further told the court how society had tried to curb the increasing rape cases among children, but some people continue doing that.
As a result, she stated that the court would ensure that the convict received a deterrent sentence that would prohibit others from intending to commit such an offence.