KZN man sentenced to life in prison for raping mentally disabled colleague three times

A man has been sentenced for raping his colleague between 2022 and 2023. The complainant, who is mentally disabled, and the accused were known to each other as they worked together.

A 34-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court for raping a mentally disabled colleague on three separate occasions.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the accused and the 33-year-old woman knew each other through their workplace.

The court heard that the man befriended the complainant before raping her three times at their workplace between 2022 and 2023.

The woman’s mother became concerned after noticing a change in her daughter’s behaviour and questioned her. The complainant subsequently disclosed the rapes to her mother, who reported the matter to police.

Following the disclosure, the complainant was referred to the Edendale Thuthuzela Care Centre, where she received medical and psychosocial support.

During the trial, prosecutor Jabulani Maphumulo led evidence from the complainant, her mother and the medical doctor who examined her.

The State also presented a clinical psychologist’s report assessing the complainant’s mental capacity.

In aggravation of sentence, the court considered a Victim Impact Statement prepared by the complainant with the assistance of Court Preparation Officer Nonhle Nokuzola Cemane.

In the statement, the complainant described the lasting impact of the offences, saying she now lives in fear and prefers to isolate herself from others.

The court sentenced the accused to life imprisonment and declared him unfit to possess a firearm.

It also ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.

The NPA said the successful prosecution demonstrates the criminal justice system’s commitment to protecting vulnerable people and holding perpetrators of sexual offences accountable.

The authority also highlighted the continued expansion of the Thuthuzela Care Centre network, which has grown from 55 centres in 2020/21 to 66 across South Africa.