The elderly woman broke a finger and lost hearing in one ear during the rape incident.
A KwaZulu-Natal man has been sentenced to life imprisonment and an additional eight years for raping and robbing his 80-year-old female relative by the Melmoth Regional Court.
He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Man punches, rapes and robs 80-year-old
The incident took place at the elderly woman’s home in the early hours of 13 March 2023, after she was woken up by loud banging on her door.
According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, the man gained entry into the house before the woman could get out of bed and began hitting her with clenched fists.
“She sustained serious injuries and bled profusely. When she tried to scream, he pressed her down, strangled her and then proceeded to rape her,” Ramkisson-Kara said in a statement.
“The accused then fled the scene taking R400,” she added.
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A broken finger and hearing loss
The woman’s son heard her screams and found her wounded and bleeding.
She was taken to a nearby hospital where DNA swabs were taken. A medical examination revealed that she sustained a broken finger and loss of hearing in one ear as a result of the attack.
The woollen hat
Ramkisson-Kara said the woman found an unfamiliar woollen hat in her house when she returned home.
“She was visited by her relatives and neighbours and one of the visitors was the accused’s mother. The accused’s mother noticed that the woollen hat looked like something her son owned,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
When she went back home, the mother asked her son where his hat was, but he failed to give her an answer.
“The accused’s mother then went to the local [leader] and related the story to him. He also asked the accused about his woollen hat. The accused was unable to explain where his hat was but denied raping the complainant.”
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DNA links man to rape case
The leader then called the police who took buccal swabs from the perpetrator to compare his DNA to that found on the elderly woman’s body. The results came back positive, linking him to the rape.
During the trial, prosecutor Russell Mngoma led the testimonies of the elderly woman, the accused’s mother and the leader, with the DNA results forming part of the state’s case.
Mngoma also handed in a victim impact statement compiled by the victim and facilitated by court preparation officer Amanda Nxumalo.
“In her statement, the woman said that due to the injuries she sustained during the attack, she is unable to use her right hand and had lost her hearing in one ear,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
Nightmares and shame
“She also said that she has nightmares about the incident. Ever since the incident, she is embarrassed to look at the members of her church where she is a prominent member,” she added.
She said the NPA welcomed the sentences handed down and that cases like this underscore the state prosecuting agency’s commitment to ensuring that justice is served, particularly in cases involving crimes against the most vulnerable members of society.
“Elderly persons are protected by legislation due to their vulnerability and they ought to be able to live in a peaceful and safe environment.”
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