THE Pietermaritzburg High Court has upheld a life sentence for a man convicted of raping his five-year-old cousin on Christmas Day 2019, dismissing his appeal for a lesser sentence based on his guilty plea and apology.
Despite his argument that his apology and guilty plea warranted a lesser sentence, the court upheld the initial ruling.
Challenging the life sentence imposed by the Scottburgh Regional Court, the man argued that the punishment was harsh.
He maintained that his decision to plead guilty was a significant mitigating factor, as it protected the young victim from the ordeal of testifying and recounting the assault in court.
Additionally, the appellant pointed to his apology to the child’s father and the lack of physical injuries as further reasons for a more lenient sentence; he said the Regional Court failed to consider these mitigating factors.
