Man, 49, gets double life sentence and 15 years in jail for rape, attempted murder of his daughter

The Durban Regional Court has sentenced a 49-year-old man to two terms of life and 15 years imprisonment for the rape and attempted murder of his 17-year-old biological daughter in August 2022.

The complainant moved into her father’s home in the Sydenham area, Durban, following her mother’s death, said Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

“The teenage daughter had previously lived with her mother. On the day of the incident, the complainant was at home when the accused arrived, drunk. He assaulted her and accused her of having an affair with someone. He had a firearm on him and fired a shot at her, in the presence of other family members and neighbours. She was unharmed and ran away,” said Ms Ramkisson-Kara.

“However, she returned home later that day, and the accused forced her to sleep in his bed with him. There he raped her twice. She eventually managed to escape and ran away and hid in some bushes under a nearby bridge for the night.

“From there she contacted her brother who sent his friend to fetch her. After that, she was taken to the police station and a case was opened. The accused was arrested the following day.”

State Advocate, Cheryl Pillay-Reddy led the testimonies of the complainant, her neighbour and other family members. The evidence of the J88 form and the testimony of the doctor who examined the complainant following the rapes, also formed part of the state’s case. In aggravation of sentence, Ms Pillay-Reddy handed in a Victim Impact Statement compiled by the complainant.

“In her statement the complainant said that the accused broke her trust. He is her father, and it was his duty to protect her, instead he violated her in the worst way possible. She said that she is now traumatised and broken,” said Ms Ramkisson-Kara.

“The accused was sentenced to a term of life imprisonment for each count of rape and 15 years imprisonment for attempted murder. Since the sentences will run concurrently, he will serve an effective term of life imprisonment. In addition, the court declared him unfit to possess a firearm and ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.”