Pitiless rapist stepdad gets life sentence

A 51-year-old Randfontein man found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting his stepdaughters was sentenced in the Johannesburg High Court yesterday to life imprisonment.

In February, Judge Cassim Moosa found the man guilty of rape and indecent assault of his two stepdaughters.

The man cannot be named to protect the identity of the victims.

Moosa said the man shattered their lives, despite them loving him as their father. The rape and sexual assault went on for seven years.

Moosa said family circumstances, level of education, whether he was a first offender, and remorse were considered when making a decision on a suitable sentence.

He said the victims did not testify during presentencing proceedings and had taken a turn for the worse after having to talk about the incidents in court. The traumatic incidents the two sisters were experiencing at home were discovered when they confided in their school counsellor after they were not assisted by their mother, who told the court she was not a confrontational person and did not know how to address the matter with her husband.

“The accused has shown no remorse during the trial and turned his stepdaughters into his wives and had regular sexual intercourse with them.”

The mother had witnessed the man putting his hands in the underwear of one of her daughters, but failed to question him.

During the trial, the sisters told the court they initially kept quiet because they thought all young girls experienced the same thing at their homes. They found the courage to speak out after a friend experiencing the same abuse told them it was not meant to be happening.

“He failed dismally as a father and has left his family destitute.”

Moosa said the effects of the continued assault resulted in one of the girls having anxiety, fear, trust issues, suicidal tendencies and promiscuous behaviour at a young age.

“Hardly a day passes without a report in the media about a woman or child being raped and abused,” Moosa said. “I’m of the view that no compelling circumstances have been provided to deviate from the minimum prescribed sentence of life imprisonment.”

The rapist stepfather stood emotionless in the dock.