KURUMAN – A 63-year-old man has been sentenced to 10 years of direct imprisonment by the Regional Court in Kuruman for the attempted rape of a seven-year-old girl.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, 16 January 2024, at the accused’s residence. The accused had invited the child to his house to assist with washing dishes before taking her to his bedroom, where he undressed and attempted to rape her. The attempt was unsuccessful, and the accused stopped after the victim began to cry. He then instructed her to get dressed and keep the incident a secret.
The matter was reported to the Kuruman Police Station on Sunday, 28 January 2024, after the victim’s mother grew suspicious. The case was assigned to Detective Constable Vellile Zwelibanzi of the Kuruman Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit, who led the investigation.
Following the proceedings, the accused was found guilty of attempted rape. In addition to the 10-year prison sentence, the court ordered that his name be entered into the National Register of Sexual Offenders and declared him unfit to possess a firearm.