Life in Prison for KZN Man Who Kidnapped and Assaulted Teen "Bride" in Name of “Ukuthwala”

• A 60-year-old man will spend the rest of his life in jail after the Greytown Magistrate's Court sentenced him to life imprisonment plus 17 years
• The man sexually assaulted, raped and kidnapped a teenage girl who was sold to marriage by her family
• The man raised the defence that it was a traditional practice called ukuthwala, but cultural experts say that what he did was criminal, not traditional

KWAZULU-NATAL – A 60-year-old man has been sentenced to life in jail after he repeatedly tortured and sexually assaulted a teenage girl who was forced to marry him.

The crime happened between February and July 2019, when the teenage girl lived with her aunt, who knew the perpetrator from church.

The Witness reported that the man asked the aunt to arrange a suitable bride for him, although he already had two wives and multiple children. According to Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, the National Prosecuting Authority’s spokesperson, the aunt chose the teenage girl as his bride.

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Ramkisson-Kara said:

“After much coercion from her family, she agreed to marry him.”

Upon meeting the man, the teenage girl rejected him. The man then conspired with the girl’s family for her to be taken to a room he rented in Greytown, where he attempted to assault her repeatedly.

The girl returned home and told her family what had happened, but they did nothing. They proceeded with the lobola negotiations regardless of the young girl’s protests.

After the negotiations were concluded, the aunt allowed the man to assault her niece in their home. When she complained, the teen was reminded that traditionally she was the man’s property.

Realising her complaints were futile, the girl decided to run away, but the man sent two men after her. They kidnapped her and brought the girl to his home. She was handcuffed and raped repeatedly. The girl was kept in a room for months.

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The teen was rescued when concerned neighbours alerted authorities of hearing the constant cries of a young girl. In her victim impact statement, the girl said the 60-year-old man destroyed her life and future.

The teenage girl said:

“I just wish the court could do justice for me as I became a laughingstock after being kidnapped and raped.”

The man defended his actions saying it was a traditional practice called Ukuthwala but a cultural expert, Dr Gugulethu Mazibuko, told News24 that the traditional practice takes place when two people are in love and has nothing to do with forced marriage.

The Greytown Regional Court convicted and sentenced the man to life in prison for rape, 12 years for two counts of sexual assault and five years for kidnapping.

The man will spend life plus 17 years in jail.

Ex-cop tried to appeal 30-year sentence for killing wife and daughter, got 2 life sentences instead

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Briefly News reported that Benedict Moagi Peloeole fatally shot his daughter and wife on 12 September 2015 and was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the gruesome murder.

The killer cop was unhappy with his sentence, so he approached the Supreme Court of Appeal to get the sentence overturned. Peloeole received more than he bargained for because the court agreed that his sentence did not fit his crime and sentenced him to life in prison instead.

On 12 September 2015, Benedict shot his wife and daughter with his service pistol in their home in Pretoria West while two of his relatives were in the house.

Source: Briefly News