Latest news with #NatashaRamkisson-Kara
The Citizen
26-06-2025
- The Citizen
4 life terms for KZN rapist father
The eShowe Regional Court in KZN this week sentenced a 41-year-old man to four terms of life imprisonment for the rape of his four young children in the Hluhluwe area. Zululand Observer reports that the offences took place between 2015 and 2019 when the children were aged between two and eight years old. The accused lived with the children and their mother, and raped them when their mother was not at home. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) KZN regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara says the children testified that they would be playing outside, and the accused would call them into the house and rape them. 'He threatened them so they would not report him. The matter was eventually reported by the children's mother after she observed injuries to their genitals. The accused was arrested at their home in Hluhluwe,' she says. Ramkisson-Kara says the accused pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations against him. In the state's case, the prosecutor, Kacey Pillay, led the testimonies of the children, where three of them mentioned that they were raped on various occasions. Since the children's mother died before the start of the trial, Pillay made an application to the court in terms of Section 3(1)(c) of the Hearsay Evidence Act to have the mother's statements admitted into the record. 'An eyewitness' testimony corroborated the mother's statement. The J88 medical records, confirming the sexual abuse of all the children, were also handed in to the court. 'In aggravation of sentence, the state handed in victim impact statements compiled by the children and facilitated by court preparation officer Amanda Pretty Nxumalo. One child said she used to be happy and play a lot, but now she is sad. She said she is untrusting of male persons. 'Another child said the accused's actions have negatively affected him, and he is angry all the time. One of the children said he hates the accused for what he did to them,' she said. The accused was sentenced to life imprisonment for each count of rape. In addition, the court ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders, and he was declared unfit to possess a firearm. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
25-06-2025
- The Citizen
4 life terms for rapist father
The eShowe Regional Court this week sentenced a 41-year-old man to four terms of life imprisonment for the rape of his four young children in the Hluhluwe area. The offences took place between 2015 and 2019 when the children were aged between two and eight years old. ALSO READ: WATCH: DA in KZN marches to eSikhawini SAPS over rape of schoolgirl (6) The accused lived with the children and their mother, and raped them when their mother was not at home. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) KZN regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said the children testified that they would be playing outside, and the accused would call them into the house and rape them. 'He threatened them so they would not report him. The matter was eventually reported by the children's mother after she observed injuries to their genitals. The accused was arrested at their home in Hluhluwe,' she said. Ramkisson-Kara said the accused pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations against him. ALSO READ: Rape suspect outsmarts police In the State's case, the prosecutor, Kacey Pillay, led the testimonies of the children, where three of them mentioned that they were raped on various occasions. Since the children's mother died before the start of the trial, Pillay made an application to the court in terms of Section 3(1)(c) of the Hearsay Evidence Act to have the mother's statements admitted onto the record. 'An eyewitness' testimony corroborated the mother's statement. The J88 medical records, confirming the sexual abuse of all the children, were also handed in to the court. 'In aggravation of sentence, the State handed in victim impact statements compiled by the children and facilitated by court preparation officer Amanda Pretty Nxumalo. One child said she used to be happy and play a lot, but now she is sad. She said she is untrusting of male persons. 'Another child said the accused's actions have negatively affected him, and he is angry all the time. One of the children said he hates the accused for what he did to them,' she said. The accused was sentenced to life imprisonment for each count of rape. In addition, the court ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders, and he was declared unfit to possess a firearm. Don't have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here: HAVE YOUR SAY Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. For news straight to your phone invite us: WhatsApp – 060 784 2695 Instagram – zululand_observer At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
16-06-2025
- The Citizen
Man sentenced to life in prison for rape of 64-year-old KZN woman
Man sentenced to life in prison for rape of 64-year-old KZN woman A 38-year-old man was recently sentenced to life imprisonment in the Scottburgh Regional Court for the rape of an elderly woman in KwaCele. According to South Coast Herald, the man cannot be named to protect the victim's identity. The 64-year-old woman was asleep in her home on January 18, 2023, when she felt a presence in her room and woke up. The accused grabbed her and used his hand to cover her mouth to stop her from screaming. 'He told her that he would do as he pleased, and thereafter, he would give her R200,' said NPA regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara. 'He overpowered the complainant and raped her.' The woman's screams alerted her daughter, who confronted the rapist. He then fled the scene by climbing through the bedroom window. The victim and her daughter were able to identify the man, and he was arrested shortly after at his home. Prosecutor Thanusha Govender told the court that the circumstances of the offence were inhumane. 'The complainant had a right to feel safe in the sanctity of her own home. However, the accused invaded her privacy.' Govender submitted the J88 medical form and a DNA analysis report as evidence. The man was convicted and also declared unfit to possess a firearm. The NPA welcomed the life sentence, stating that elderly persons are protected by legislation due to their vulnerability and have the right to live in a peaceful and safe environment. 'The NPA is committed to ensuring that justice is served, particularly in cases involving crimes against the most vulnerable members of our society – our elderly,' said Ramkisson-Kara. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
08-06-2025
- The Citizen
Life imprisonment for rapist of elderly woman
THE Scottburgh Regional Court has sentenced a 38-year-old man to life imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to the rape of a 64-year-old woman. The rape occurred in 2023 in the KwaCele area. According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), in the early hours of 18 January 2023, the complainant was asleep in her bed when she felt someone's presence in her room, and she awoke. NPA regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said the accused grabbed her and used his hand to cover her mouth to prevent her from screaming. ALSO READ: KZN marks International Children's Day with calls to end violence against children 'He told her he would do as he pleased, and thereafter, he would give her R200. He overpowered the complainant and raped her. Her screams alerted her daughter to the offence, and she came to her mother's rescue,' said Ramkisson-Kara. Ramkisson-Kara further revealed that the accused then climbed through the bedroom window and fled the scene. 'He was arrested shortly after, at his place of residence, after being pointed out by the complainant and her daughter. 'In aggravation of the sentence, Prosecutor Thanusha Govender told the court that the circumstances of the offence were inhumane. The complainant had a right to feel safe in the sanctity of her own home, however, the accused invaded her privacy. ALSO READ: No explosion, says Tronox after loud bang prompts evacuation 'Govender also handed in the J88 form, as well as a DNA analysis report. The accused was convicted accordingly, and he was declared unfit to possess a firearm,' added Ramkisson-Kara. Ramkisson-Kara said the NPA welcomes the life sentence handed down. 'Elderly persons are protected by legislation due to their vulnerability as they age, and ought to be able to live in a peaceful and safe environment. Cases such as this underscore the NPA's commitment to ensuring justice is served, particularly in cases involving crimes against the most vulnerable members of our society, our elderly,' she said. Don't have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here: HAVE YOUR SAY Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. For news straight to your phone invite us: WhatsApp – 060 784 2695 Instagram – zululand_observer At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
21-05-2025
- The Citizen
Child (3) beaten with rolling pin and strangled to death: Durban mother sentenced
The Durban High Court sentenced a 35-year-old woman to 20 years' direct imprisonment after she pleaded guilty to the assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and murder of her three-year-old daughter in May 2022. Rising Sun reports that in her plea, the accused said that she had a difficult childhood and had witnessed and been subjected to violence. She said that she was raped at the age of 17 and this traumatic experience had caused her to attempt suicide. The accused said that she was destitute and staying in a shelter in 2019 when the deceased was born. She said that she met a woman on social media who offered to foster the deceased for her, and she agreed. The deceased went on to stay with the foster mother for three years. During this time, the accused married the father of her youngest child. This man, who resides in the United Kingdom (UK), then encouraged her to bring the deceased back to live with them so that they could be a family. The child was thus brought back to her home. However, her husband had to return to the UK because his South African visa had expired. He left her alone with the three children (her older daughter, the deceased and her youngest child). She said that she would often beat the two girls during her bouts of anger and throw things at them. Regional spokesperson of the National Prosecuting Authority, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, said: 'On May 31, 2022, the accused had taken her youngest child, who suffers from glaucoma, to the clinic as he was unwell. Her children were aged nine, three and one at the time. When she returned from the clinic, she tried feeding her youngest child, but he refused to eat and started crying. She then prepared food for the deceased, but she too refused the food and started crying. The accused said that she got angry and frustrated and hit the deceased with a rolling pin all over her body and on her head.' She said that the children continued to cry, and the situation was worsened by the deceased soiling herself. She took the deceased to the bathroom to clean her up, but she continued to cry, as did the younger child. The accused said that she was very angry and hit the deceased as she washed her. She eventually strangled the deceased. The accused said that her older child tried to stop her, but she was so enraged that she continued to attack the deceased. When she eventually realised that the child had stopped breathing, she panicked. She dressed the child and wrapped her in a blanket. Thereafter, she phoned her husband to tell him what she had done. He contacted a doctor, and the police were called to the scene. 'In court, the state, represented by Advocate Kelvin Singh, submitted victim impact statements, which were compiled by the deceased's foster mother and the deceased's sister, and facilitated by court preparation officer, Thandeka Nadi Mofokeng. 'In her statement, the foster mother said that she had taken care of the deceased since she was three weeks old until a month-and-a-half before she was murdered. The woman said that she is heartbroken and that the incident has adversely affected her. Further, she mentioned that she would have taken the deceased back if the accused had told her that she was not coping,' added Ramkisson-Kara. In her statement, the deceased's sister said that she misses her sister a lot. She also said that she experiences nightmares and is afraid to sleep. The accused pleaded guilty to murder read with the provisions of Section 51 and Part 1 of Schedule 2 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act 105 of 1997, which attracts a term of life imprisonment. However, during sentencing, the court deviated from life imprisonment and sentenced her to 20 years' imprisonment. 'In deviating, the court considered that the accused chose to plead guilty. The court also accepted that the accused had been a victim of physical and sexual abuse. The fact that the accused had been in custody for three years and that she required medication to treat some of her conditions also led to the court's deviation. 'The NPA welcomes the sentence handed down. This case underscores the NPA's commitment to ensuring that justice is served, particularly in cases involving crimes against the most vulnerable members of our society, children. We remain resolute in our duty to uphold the rule of law,' Ramkisson-Kara said. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
