20-year jail term for Omaruru child rapist

AN Omaruru resident convicted of repeatedly raping a 10-year-old girl who was staying in his house was sentenced to an effective prison term of 20-and-a-half years this week.

The 29-year-old rape suspect, who was distantly related to the victim, was found guilty and sentenced by Magistrate Gert Retief in the Swakopmund Regional Court on Tuesday. He had denied the rape charge.He was on trial before Magistrate Retief on two counts.The first was a charge of rape, in which it was alleged that he had raped a ten-year-old girl at Omaruru on several occasions during 2004.The second count was a charge of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, in which it was alleged that he had hit the girl in the face with the buckle-end of a belt on September 11 2004.That was the day when the girl first alleged that the man had raped her, the court heard during the trial.The court heard testimony from the girl’s sister, who related that when she returned home on that date, she found the child with a swollen eye.When she asked what had happened, the child reported that the man had hit her with his belt in the face when she refused to comply with his instructions to go to his room, where he had ordered her to go on previous occasions and then had sex with her, the witness said.The suspect claimed that he had hit the child because she swore at him, and that he accidentally struck her in the face.The court further heard testimony from a 10-year-old boy who claimed that he once lifted the blankets on the suspect’s bed and peered under the covers, and that he saw the suspect naked with the girl in the bed.The boy and his brother used to sleep on the floor in the suspect’s bedroom.The girl told the court about a first incident when she said the suspect had called her into his room, closed the door, and offered her money before having sexual intercourse with her.On another occasion, he sent the other children in the house to a shop before raping her, she also related.The suspect not only denied that he had raped the child, but also that he had admitted to her relatives that he had done so.Under cross-examination, however, he conceded that he had made such an admission to the relatives, but explained that he had done that because he was under a lot of pressure at the time.Magistrate Retief rejected his defence, and sentenced him to 20 years’ imprisonment on the rape charge and a six-month jail term on the aggravated assault charge.Tania Tait conducted the prosecution during the trial.Legal Aid counsel Duard Kesslau appeared for the defence.He had denied the rape charge.He was on trial before Magistrate Retief on two counts.The first was a charge of rape, in which it was alleged that he had raped a ten-year-old girl at Omaruru on several occasions during 2004.The second count was a charge of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, in which it was alleged that he had hit the girl in the face with the buckle-end of a belt on September 11 2004.That was the day when the girl first alleged that the man had raped her, the court heard during the trial.The court heard testimony from the girl’s sister, who related that when she returned home on that date, she found the child with a swollen eye.When she asked what had happened, the child reported that the man had hit her with his belt in the face when she refused to comply with his instructions to go to his room, where he had ordered her to go on previous occasions and then had sex with her, the witness said.The suspect claimed that he had hit the child because she swore at him, and that he accidentally struck her in the face.The court further heard testimony from a 10-year-old boy who claimed that he once lifted the blankets on the suspect’s bed and peered under the covers, and that he saw the suspect naked with the girl in the bed.The boy and his brother used to sleep on the floor in the suspect’s bedroom.The girl told the court about a first incident when she said the suspect had called her into his room, closed the door, and offered her money before having sexual intercourse with her.On another occasion, he sent the other children in the house to a shop before raping her, she also related.The suspect not only denied that he had raped the child, but also that he had admitted to her relatives that he had done so.Under cross-examination, however, he conceded that he had made such an admission to the relatives, but explained that he had done that because he was under a lot of pressure at the time.Magistrate Retief rejected his defence, and sentenced him to 20 years’ imprisonment on the rape charge and a six-month jail term on the aggravated assault charge.Tania Tait conducted the prosecution during the trial.Legal Aid counsel Duard Kesslau appeared for the defence.