North West Province Commissioner Commends Sentencing in GBV Cases
POTCHEFSTROOM – The Provincial Commissioner of North West, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, has welcomed the sentencing in two separate gender-based violence (GBV) cases.
According to South African Police Service, these verdicts represent a significant step in the region’s fight against GBV.
First Case: Severe Sentence for Father’s Crimes
In the first case dating back to March 2010, a social worker’s alert led to the discovery of a horrifying situation involving three children in Zeerust. Forensic assessments revealed that the children, a 7-year-old boy, an 8-year-old girl, and a 13-year-old disabled girl, had been raped by their then 41-year-old father between July and October 2009. The father, now 61, was sentenced on 15 November 2023 to 75 years in prison by the Rustenburg Regional Court. He was found guilty on six charges of rape. The court also mandated his inclusion in the National Register for Sex Offenders and declared him unfit to possess a firearm.
Second Case: Stepfather Sentenced for Sexual Abuse
In the second case, reported in July 2017, a nine-year-old girl in Sondela informed her aunt of sexual abuse by her stepfather. Investigations revealed that the stepfather would abuse the girl when his wife was at work. Following a medical examination that confirmed the rape, the stepfather, aged 44, was arrested. The Rustenburg Regional Court found him guilty and sentenced him on 14 November 2023 to 30 years imprisonment. Similar to the first case, he was declared unfit to possess a firearm and his details were ordered to be included in the National Register for Sex Offenders.
Praise for Investigative and Prosecutorial Teams
Lieutenant General Kwena praised the efforts of the investigating officers, Captain Karen Pretorius and Warrant Officer Cynthia Monchusi of Lehurutshe and Rustenburg Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences (FCS) Units. He acknowledged their collaborative work with the prosecution as critical in delivering justice. The Provincial Commissioner emphasized that these verdicts should serve as a stern warning to GBV offenders.
Attached to the statement were photographs of Captain Karen Pretorius, one of the investigating officers in these cases.