In a deeply disturbing case, a 63-year-old man has lost his appeal against a life sentence for repeatedly raping his partner’s young daughter. The Western Cape High Court in Cape Town upheld the original ruling from the Parow Regional Court, finding no reason to change the conviction or the punishment.
The man was convicted of raping the girl when she was just nine years old, though the abuse started even earlier, when she was eight. He lived with the child and her mother in Delft, and the assaults went on for a long time.
Tragically, the girl became pregnant at age 10 and also tested positive for HIV. Doctors confirmed she was about 30 weeks along in her pregnancy back in May 2023. DNA tests proved the man was the father of the baby.
The situation only came to light when neighbors noticed her pregnancy and told the school. She was then taken out of the home and placed in protective care.
The court called this a “harrowing series of tragedies.” The girl went through immense pain, including giving birth prematurely without pain relief as a young child. The baby was placed for a closed adoption.
Due to the severe emotional trauma, the girl didn’t testify in court. Instead, social workers shared reports about how the abuse affected her.
In his appeal, the man didn’t really challenge the guilty verdict. He just argued that the court should have given him a lighter sentence instead of life. His lawyers pointed to his age, being a first-time offender, time already spent in jail waiting for trial, and having grown children as reasons for leniency.
But the high court disagreed, saying the lower court had balanced his personal situation against the horror of the crime and what society needs. They stressed that he abused his position of trust. He should have protected her but instead took advantage of her vulnerability. He even groomed her and threatened to stop giving her small gifts if she didn’t comply.
The judges saw no mistakes in the original decision and said the life sentence fits the severity of what happened it’s not unfair or shocking. They also noted he showed no remorse, pleading not guilty despite clear DNA evidence and trying to shift blame.
In the end, the appeal was fully dismissed.