A 28-year-old from Esikhaleni has been convicted and sentenced to two terms of life imprisonment for murder and rape by the Mtubatuba High Court yesterday. His sentencing follows the brutal rape of his brother’s 18-month-old child last year which resulted in her death.
During June 2018, the mother left her 18-month-old child with her husband’s brother at Mpembeni in Esikhaleni and proceeded to a local mall. When she returned home, she noticed that her child was in distress and in pain. The accused in whose care the child was entrusted, denied any knowledge of what happened to the child.
The following day, the mother discovered that her child had passed away during the night. An inquest docket was opened at Esikhaleni police station. Following a post mortem that that was conducted, it was established that child died as a result of being raped. The inquest docket was then changed to murder and rape. The accused was immediately arrested and charged accordingly.
