An elderly man aged 68 has been sentenced to 30 years imprisonment without an option of a fine for raping two of his granddaughters aged seven and 11 years, respectively.
The elderly man was sentenced by Principal Magistrate Florence Msibi at the Manzini Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
The names of the perpetrator and the survivors are known to this publication and will not be revealed to protect the minors.
The perpetrator was charged with two counts of contravening the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act No. 15/2018, which he committed at Siphambanweni.
On the first count, he is said to have had an unlawful sexual act with the minor aged 11 years and did thereby contravene the said Act, an offence he committed in October 2023.
On the second count, which he committed on October 5, 2023, the offender is said to have unlawfully had a sexual act with the second minor aged seven years old and did thereby contravene the said Act.
During court proceedings, it was stated that the accused person was the grandfather of the two minors and on October 5, 2023, it is said the minor aged seven had flu. The culprit suggested to the other children that she should sleep in his bed as she was not feeling well.
During that night, it was the evidence of the complainant that the perpetrator woke up, started to undress her and sexually assaulted her.
The minor stated that she felt pain but the perpetrator told her to keep quiet.
It was further disclosed in court that the offender thereafter gave the minor E5 and told her not to tell anyone about the rape incident.
NOW READ | Senators condemn mocking of king on social media
The minor told the court that soon after that incident, she started vomiting and it attracted the attention of her grandmother. She said she then confided in her grandmother as to what the sexual offender did to her.
After she reported the rape incident, the 11-year-old minor also got the courage to narrate her story to her grandmother as well.
The 11-year-old minor is said to have told her grandmother that the perpetrator also sexually violated her in the same month (October) and instructed her not to tell anyone about the rape incident.
The matter was reported to Hluti Police who eventually arrested and charged the culprit with the above cited offences.
A medical doctor at Matsanjeni Health Centre, who attended to both the minors on October 15, confirmed that indeed they had been sexually assaulted.
The sexual offender pleaded guilty to both counts and was found guilty as per his plea.
He mitigated for a lenient sentence on grounds that he had three schoolgoing children and was a bread winner at home.
He pointed out that he was apologetic of his actions and remorseful as he was fully aware that what he did was wrong.
He also informed the court that he was a first-time offender who needed a second chance in life.
He was sentenced to 15 years in prison without an option of a fine on each count. This implies that in total, he was given a 30-year custodial sentence.
