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'Rapist no threat to society'
HT African Crisis.Grahamstown- Five youths, three of them convicted rapists and two found guilty of housebreaking, were not a danger to society, the Grahamstown High Court heard on Monday. This assessment came from Fort Beaufort social worker Vathiswa Mbanzi, who had prepared pre-sentencing reports on the five. She told Judge Ronnie Pillay she had considered their ages, their personal circumstances and social and economic background and did not consider them to pose "a threat to society". Convicted and awaiting sentence for breaking into a Fort Beaufort House and raping and robbing a 16-year-old girl in the early morning of June 3, 2006 is Akhona Ndashe, 21. The court heard that the girl was raped on three occasions. Two others in the dock, aged 17 and 15, have been convicted of rape, housebreaking with intent to steal and theft. The remaining two, aged 15 and 16, were convicted only of housebreaking with intent to steal and theft. All live in Kanana, Fort Beaufort. State advocate Selwyn Gounder questioned the validity of Mbanzi's assessment when she recommended a "partial" sentence for Ndashe and correctional supervision for the four juveniles. He pointed out that Ndashe had been sentenced to two years in prison for robbery in 2004 by a King William's Town magistrate and was on parole when the offence before the current court was committed. "All four juveniles willingly accompanied Ndashe from the shebeen where they had been drinking and went to the girl's house with the intention to rob and rape her. How is that not a threat to society?" Mbanzi said: "In my professional opinion that is my view after considering their circumstances and the partial sentence I have recommended for Ndashe actually means that part of the sentence should be suspended." The five were all found guilty. The girl, who lived with two other young women, was from the Transkei and residing in Fort Beaufort where she attended a local high school. The hearing continues. Posted by: anonymous5089 2007-08-09 |
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