A 32-year-old South African man has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Ngwelezane Regional Court for the rape and assault of his biological mother with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The man committed the offences in the Nseleni area near Empangeni, where he and his mother lived on the same homestead.
It was learnt that the case came to light after the complainant initially reported the assault to neighbours following the traumatic incident.
According to the KwaZulu-Natal office of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the victim later gave a full account to a relative, who assisted her in filing a formal complaint with the police, triggering an official investigation and subsequent criminal charges.
Following the complaint, police conducted a thorough investigation, including securing medico-legal evidence at the Ngwelezane Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC) and tracing the accused, who had initially fled the scene.
He was apprehended two weeks later by family members and formally handed over to law enforcement authorities.
“On the evening of December 1, 2024, the complainant was lying in bed with her minor granddaughter when the accused knocked on her door. Upon opening it, he began shouting at her, accusing her of speaking about him to other people,” said the NPA KwaZulu-Natal Division’s Regional Spokesperson, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara.
“Despite her denial, he made threatening remarks and proceeded to undress before physically assaulting her by slapping and punching her. He then forced her onto the bed and raped her in the presence of the minor child,” she added.
“In an attempt to escape, the complainant asked for permission to go outside to drink water. When the accused allowed her to do so, the child followed her. The complainant then took the child and fled to a neighbouring homestead, where they spent the night. Due to shock and embarrassment, she initially reported the assault only to her neighbours.”
During the trial, the State presented evidence from the complainant, the investigating officer, and a medical practitioner, and also submitted a Victim Impact Statement detailing the trauma suffered.
In her statement, the complainant described feeling horrified and deeply violated, stating that she never imagined her own child would commit such an act against her.
After reviewing the evidence presented, the court sentenced the 32-year-old man to life imprisonment for rape and an additional 10 years’ imprisonment for assault, with the sentences to run concurrently.
