The Cape
High Court has sentenced a 50-year-old pastor to life inprisonment on Tuesday for raping a nine-year-old girl.Acting judge Aboobaker Mohamed said in the sentencing that the rape has gained very little but, killed the spirit of three women - the victim, her mother and his own wife.
Pastor Sakhayedwa Hlatswayo was convicted in the local regional court of raping the girl in December 2003.
The girl, who remains un-named, had sometimes played in the pastors house. The case was transferred to the high court as the prescribed sentence exceeded the jurisdiction of the trial court.
Mohamed said that when the legislature passed the minimum sentence for rape, deterrence was the main component of sentencing.
"Rape is a perverted and cowardly abuse and to do it to a girl of nine is to kill innocence itself", the judge said.
Picture: www.crimelibrary.com
No comments:
Post a Comment