The court sentenced the two rapists to six life terms.
Image: File
The court sentenced the two rapists to six life terms.
Image: File
The Malmesbury Regional Court handed down six life sentences to two men for the violent rape of a young woman which the state said has resulted in profound emotional and psychological trauma.
Denico Leander and Adriaan Pietersen were convicted of repeatedly raping a 32-year-old woman on June 17, 2023.
According to evidence before the court, on the day of the crime, the victim and others were socialising playing cards at the Old Scrapyard informal settlement in Malmesbury.
They received a warning about an approaching gang. While others fled, the victim remained in the shack paralysed by fear and confusion.
After entering the shack, Leander and Pietersen repeatedly raped her and then fled. The victim was found distressed, partially dressed, and later reported the incident to the police.
She was able to describe her perpetrators to police and they were arrested during the early hours of the following morning.
The duo pleaded not guilty.
Acting regional court prosecutor, Kayline Andréa Nel called six witnesses one of which who had hidden in the shack and corroborated key aspects of the victim’s ordeal, including threats and forced sexual acts. Additional witnesses later came forward and confirmed the events of that evening.
Leander and Pietersen pleaded not guilty and, in their testimony, they attempted to discredit the victim, claiming she was a prostitute and that they had paid for consensual sex with her. The State successfully opposed the claims during cross-examination as it exposed significant contradictions in their versions. They were unable to account for the medical evidence the State presented, which proved the rapes and injuries the victim suffered.
In arguments in aggravation of sentence, Nel told the court that the accused’s efforts to undermine the victim’s character are a lack of remorse and a failure to appreciate the seriousness of the offence.
“The victim was treated in a degrading and inhumane manner, resulting in profound emotional and psychological trauma, including fear, shame, and ongoing distress affecting her ability to care for herself and her children. The offence was particularly severe, involving extreme violence. They showed no remorse, continued to deny responsibility, and even intimidated the complainant during proceedings,” Nel submitted.
According to the State, their continued denial and blaming of the victim suggest an elevated risk of reoffending, with rehabilitation outside of custody unlikely. There were no substantial or compelling circumstances to justify deviating from the prescribed minimum sentence, and the State requested life imprisonment on all counts.
The court agreed, finding no basis for deviation, and sentenced both accused to life imprisonment on each of the six counts of rape.
The court ordered the six life sentences to run concurrently. The names of the rapists were also ordered to be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders for the victim to make representations regarding their placement on parole or correctional supervision.
The duo were declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Nicolette Bell, applauded the investigation and prosecution team for their work, and said it was the culmination of painstaking investigative and prosecutorial work by committed men and women who have taken an oath to ensure justice for victims of such heinous crimes.
Cape Times