The Paarl Regional Court in the Western Cape handed down 16 life terms and an additional 12 years’ direct imprisonment to a couple for sexually exploiting two vulnerable teenagers.
Regional National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, said the unit secured convictions against a 51-year-old man and his 42-year-old wife on eight counts of rape, eight counts of trafficking in persons, and four counts of grooming children.
Ntabazalila said the court further ordered that the couple’s names to be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders and declared both unfit to possess firearms.
The court heard how the couple targeted two 14-year-old girls who were facing severe socio-economic hardships. One victim had lost her mother while her father struggled with alcohol abuse; the second girl’s family was left homeless and sleeping under a bridge after losing their home in a fire.
Ntabazalila said after taking both girls into their home, the couple built a relationship of dependence and trust. Paarl Regional Court Prosecutor Jacqueline Hefele presented evidence showing the minors relied entirely on the accused for food, clothing, and shelter.
The wife actively facilitated the systematic abuse, approaching the teenagers with proposals to engage in sexual acts with her husband in exchange for accommodation and financial support.
“The court heard that the couple supplied the minors with alcohol before subjecting them to repeated sexual abuse…One of the victims testified that the wife was often present during the assaults and took steps to facilitate their commission. The evidence showed that the abuse was systematic and continued over a period of time,” added Ntabazalila.
Testifying in court, one victim explained that she felt unable to refuse the abuse out of fear of physical assault and being thrown back onto the streets.
In their defence, the husband claimed his wife instigated the crimes, while the wife denied involvement and claimed the girls were given a choice.
Prosecutor Hefele argued that the couple’s claims were not reasonably possibly true. Under cross-examination, the husband repeatedly altered his testimony and became tangled in contradictions. Conversely, the State relied on consistent, credible testimony from both victims, which was further corroborated by a neighbour who overheard revealing arguments between the couple.
The court rejected the accused’s versions in full, ruling that the State had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Acting Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Adrian Mopp, commended the prosecution and investigative teams for securing justice for the victims, condemning the couple for abusing their position as trusted parental figures.
“The sentences imposed reflect the gravity of these heinous offences and the profound harm inflicted on two vulnerable young girls,” Mopp said.
“The NPA remains committed to ensuring that perpetrators of crimes against children are held fully accountable.”
