A 40-year-old parolee has begun serving a life sentence after being convicted of raping and repeatedly assaulting his girlfriend on KwaZulu-Natal’s north coast.
The Ngwelezane Regional Court heard that the man abused the woman over several months, starting in December 2023. He was also convicted of kidnapping and two counts of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, linked to separate attacks.
KwaZulu-Natal National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Natasha Kara said in one incident the accused attacked the woman, forced her into his home in Empangeni against her will and sexually assaulted her.
“She later managed to escape and report the matter to police,” Kara said.
Kara added that the man was on parole for attempted murder at the time he committed the offences.
“The Ngwelezane Regional Court has sentenced a 40-year-old man to life and 35 years’ imprisonment for the rape, two counts of assault GBH and kidnapping of his girlfriend. He committed the offences in December 2023 and February 2024 in Mgazini, Empangeni,” she said.
In addition to the prison sentence, the accused was declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The NPA welcomed the sentence, saying it sends a strong message that violent crimes against women will not be tolerated.