Karasburg man sentenced to 15 years for raping aunt

A man from the Karasburg district was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment on Friday, after he was convicted of raping his aunt six years ago.

Handing down the sentence in the Karasburg Magistrate’s Court, magistrate Mwilima Tembwe, said rape is a serious offence and society demands that offenders such as the accused be removed from it.

“It is common knowledge that residual emotional, mental, and psychological effects of sexual violence often permeate the daily lives of victims, in many cases subjecting them to a life torment.

“Unlike with other physical violence, rape is connected to sex, an act allied to intimacy, relationship, pleasure, and procreation. The propensity for long-term damage occasioned by rape is therefore unique,” he said.

The magistrate said he considered the fact that the courts are flooded with numerous rape cases involving women and minors, which show no sign of subsiding.

Society expects stiffer sentences to deter would-be offenders, he said.

The state was represented by Esther Jafet, while legal aid lawyer Verinao Kamahene represented the rapist.