A man who infected his 16-year-old stepdaughter with HIV after raping her was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court yesterday. The stepfather, whose name is withheld to protect the identity of the teenager, was staying with the girl, her mother, and her sister in a shack in Bloemspruit, outside Bloemfontein, Free State, when the incident took place.
RAPED WHILE MOTHER WAS IN HOSPITAL
Police spokesperson Sergeant Mahlomola Kareli said it was revealed during the trial that the victim had been sexually molested by her stepfather in 2020 while her mother was hospitalised. "The victim subsequently tested positive for HIV after she fell ill thinking she was pregnant and was sent to stay with a cousin in Sasolburg," Kareli said. He added that the victim confided in a relative about the rape and the incident was reported to the Sasolburg police station. "The case was brought to the Mangaung Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit and investigated by Sergeant Makhetha, who was working closely with the National Prosecuting Authority's Advocate Cwele. The 40-year-old stepfather was sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal rape."
CARETAKER SENTENCED FOR RAPING TENANT
In a separate case, also at the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court, 38-year-old Nkosinathi Mangaliso, a caretaker at a residential complex, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for rape. This conviction stemmed from an incident on 16 June 2023, when he assaulted a 30-year-old tenant. According to Kareli, the incident happened after the victim asked the caretaker for help getting into her apartment after losing her keys. He added that the victim was sexually assaulted by the caretaker, who took advantage of her because she was drunk. "The case was assigned to the Parkweg FCS Unit, led by Sergeant Tshitso Mofokeng, in partnership with Advocate York from the National Prosecuting Authority. Mangaliso was arrested on 17 June 2023 and initially released on bail before being found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in prison," Kareli said.
