Durban — A 52-year-old man has been sentenced to life and 18 years’ imprisonment for attacking his ex-partner in 2022.
The Umlazi Regional Court handed down the sentence to the man for the kidnapping, assault and rape of a 55-year-old woman in July 2022 in the uMlazi area.
He was also convicted of contravening a protection order.
KwaZulu-Natal National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said the man and the woman had been in a relationship since 2019, and in August 2021 the woman ended their relationship because of his abuse and she obtained a protection order against him.
Ramkisson-Kara said on July 15, 2022, she was leaving work when he accosted her. He throttled and strangled her, and took her to his home, a wendy house, which was nearby.
Inside the wendy house, he assaulted her with a building level until the level broke. He then used a hammer to assault her and a knife to stab her. Since he had previously throttled her, she was unable to shout because her throat was sore. The man then raped her and left her there. He kept her in the house for 10 days, raping and assaulting her, Ramkisson-Kara said.
The victim eventually managed to escape when somebody came over to visit him. She went home and reported the matter to her family, and was taken to the Umlazi Thuthuzela Care Centre for medical and psycho-social assistance. The man was arrested a week later.
Ramkisson-Kara said that in the State’s case, advocate prosecutor Pratisha Jugnundan led the testimony of the woman and the contents of the J88 form (the form the doctor fills out depicting the victim’s injuries). Jugnundan also handed in a Victim Impact Statement compiled by the woman and facilitated by court preparation officer Thuli Sontsele.
In her statement, the woman said that after the incident she lost her self-confidence and her self-esteem. She also lost her dignity and the incident ruined her life.
“The man was sentenced as follows: five years’ imprisonment for kidnapping, life imprisonment for rape, 10 years’ imprisonment for assault GBH and three years’ imprisonment for contravening the protection order. The court ordered that the sentences of kidnapping, assault and contravention of the protection order run concurrently with the sentence of life imprisonment; further, he was deemed unfit to possess a firearm,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
She added that the NPA welcomed this successful prosecution. Sentences of this nature demonstrate the NPA’s efforts in the fight for justice.
“We commend the work done by the prosecution and SAPS.”
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