A sick grandfather has been sentenced to life in prison for the rape of his own five-year-old granddaughter. The man, 56, will be added to the national sex offender register after committing the heinous attack in December 2023 in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Testimonies were given in court by the child’s mother, who corroborated evidence of the rape, and the examining doctor, who said her injuries were consistent with the offence.
Her mother also gave a powerful victim impact statement, revealing the emotional trauma caused by the attack. National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said: “In her statement, the woman expressed that she was deeply hurt by the actions of her father, as she had trusted him.
“She said that the incident had destroyed their relationship.”
The child left her mother’s house to visit her grandfather, who lived on the same plot of land but in a different house.
When she returned, she had blood on her underwear and explained to her mother that she had been raped.
Ramkisson-Kara added: “She returned after some time and told her mother that she had blood on her underwear.
“Her mother asked her what had happened, and she reported that her grandfather had raped her.
“The accused was in a position of trust, and he abused that trust. We hope that sentences of this nature will deter like-minded people.”