Psychiatric patient sentenced to four years in prison for raping mentally disabled girl

A 22-year-old man has been convicted by the Kimberley Magistrates Court of raping a mentally disabled 12-year-old girl in a psychiatric hospital.

In a recent judgment in the Kimberley Magistrates Court, a 22-year-old man was sentenced to four years in prison for raping a 12-year-old girl in a mental health facility.

Sergeant Molefi Shemane, a spokesperson for the Northern Cape Provincial Police, commended Detective Sergeant Neo Noge of the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit of the Kimberley SAPS for his diligent work in leading the investigation and convicting the perpetrator.

Evidence presented in court revealed that the young victim, who is mentally disabled, was attacked on the evening of February 4, 2023, as she went to the bathroom at the psychiatric hospital after dinner.

The girl was grabbed by a 22-year-old male patient at the facility, pushed into the bathroom, locked the door and raped.

The perpetrator was arrested after hospital management alerted authorities after the victim informed them of the incident.

The man was arrested and denied bail. The court found him guilty and sentenced him to four years in prison.

The court’s decision not only provided for a prison sentence, but also required that the perpetrator’s name be entered into the National Child Protection Register.