A South African man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison after a court found him guilty of raping his 8-year-old younger sister.
The 26-year-old accused person, who was not named to protect the victim, allegedly committed the offence after the child was brought to live with him, following the death of their mother in 2012.
But he pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The Mpumalanga man supposedly committed the offence on November 13, 2012, and was caught by community members who reported him to police, a Nelspruit Regional Court heard.
According to the magistrate, the act occurred in two different locations, Pienaar and in Nhlazatshe.
However, the accused continued to maintain his innocence, despite the prosecution calling four witnesses, including his younger brother, who testified against him.
While delivering its judgment, the court held that: “You were her caregiver. But you took advantage of the situation to sexually abuse her after she was brought to stay with you. The victim was your biological sister. You repeatedly raped her and threatened to kill her if she told anyone.”