Teen raped on grave
2005-09-19 22:24
Riot Hlatshwayo and Glacier Nkhwashu
Tzaneen - A High Court judge says a lack of parental guidance may be responsible for a rapist's "disgusting" behaviour.
The rapist had convinced a 14-year-old girl's mother to let her daughter accompany him to a shop, and promised to buy the mother a cold drink.
Instead, he raped the girl, forcing her to lie down on a grave, because, he said, she'd be more "comfortable" than on the ground. She then contracted a sexually transmitted disease.
"I've learnt that your parents died when you were still a child.
"Your lack of parental guidance might have contributed a lot to your disgusting behaviour," said the presiding judge of the Tzaneen circuit of Pretoria High Court.
He sentenced Andries Khoza, 20, of Seshego near Polokwane to 12 years in jail.
Threatened her with violence
The girl's mother told the court she'd trusted Khoza, because he was a "good" neighbour.
The girl testified that on their way back from the local cafe about 20:00 on February 7 last year, Khoza suddenly dragged her towards a graveyard where he ordered her to strip naked or he would kill her.
"He forced me to lie on top of a grave and said that I would feel comfortable than on the ground. Then he raped me," she said.
Afterwards, he threatened her with violence if she told anyone what happened, and gave her the cold drink to give to her mother.
The girl later confided in a neighbour after contracting a sexually transmitted disease.
She was taken to a clinic and the rape was reported to the police.
Khoza pleaded not guilty and accused the teenager of lying.
Khoza told the court: "I don't think I could rape a young girl. She was like a sister to me."
But, the judge said: "Men should realise girls and women are not sex objects. The court must protect them from evil men like you." - African Eye news Service
- African Eye