Butterworth – A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Tsomo Regional Court for raping a 7-year-old relative at Hlobo village in Ngqamakhwe, Eastern Cape police said on Thursday.
The 52-year-old man was convicted of raping his niece on September 10, 2010, spokesperson Captain Jackson Manatha said.
“It is alleged that the accused, who was 47-years-old at the time of the crime, called his niece who was playing with her friend.”
He then sent his niece to go and buy him a chibuku beer from the local tavern.
“The [52-year-old man] was seen by a local man who peeped through the window as he heard a bitter scream of the victim,” Manatha said.
“He then alerted the community members about the rape of the victim but [the 52-year-old] ran away before the community members could arrive at the crime scene. The [52-year-old] was alone at the time, as it is not clear if [he] was a married man.”
The man was convicted on Monday and sentenced on Wednesday. He cannot be identified because he is a relative of the victim.
