A former South African National Defence Force (SANDF) special forces operator. Leon Santos Conga, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape and attempted murder of his former partner.
The matter was handed down at the Pretoria Magistrate’s
Court on Wednesday.
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PICTURE: PixabayIn 2018, Afriforum's private prosecution unit took the case
of Antoinette Ndishishi, who accused Conga of failing to disclose his HIV
status and knowingly infecting her with the virus.
Magistrate Fikiswa Ntlati found no reason to deviate from
imposing the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment after the court
convicted Conga of rape and attempted murder crimes in June this year.
“Like so many other cases monitored by AfriForum’s Private
Prosecution Unit, this rape matter would not have reached this stage without
our intervention. Antoinette displayed incredible resolve to have her voice
heard and to ensure justice was done. But it is a demonstration of how hard
women have to fight within the criminal justice system to hold perpetrators of
gender-based violence accountable,” said Afriforum spokesperson Barry Bateman.
In June, Magistrate Ntlati convicted Conga of rape because
Ndishishi only consented to having sex with him on the understanding that he
was HIV-negative.
The court accepted Ndishishi’s testimony that if Conga had
disclosed his status, she would not have agreed to have sex.
The couple had discussed the issue, but he withheld this
information from her.
Ntlati convicted Conga of attempted murder because he
infected Ndishishi with the virus despite knowing he was HIV positive and
failed to inform her.
The court accepted expert testimony that HIV infection is
an "incurable and fatal disease".
Done by: Mitchum George
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