GRAAFF-REINET NEWS — The local police is elated after a number of convicted criminals were handed heavy sentences following their convictions in the Graaff-Reinet courts in recent times.
Police spokesperson, W/O Gerrie van Rooyen reports that local resident Henry Steenberg was sentenced to ten years behind bars after he was convicted on a charge of assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm on July 21 this year.
His conviction follows an incident during February 2013 when he assaulted another male by throwing a rock on his head in Bree Street, Asherville. The victim sustained permanent brain damage.
According to W/O van Rooyen justice prevailed after a shocking case of rape was reported to Aberdeen police in 2016.
A 4-year-old toddler was abducted from her home by a family member on the night of September 15, 2016. The toddler returned home the next morning after a search for her during the night yielded no results.
Her mother discovered that the child was sexually assaulted and reported the incident to the police.
On September 16, 2016, the suspect, John Booysen was arrested and charged with rape and abduction. The suspect was positively connected to the crime by means of DNA analysis. Booysen found himself staring down the long aisle of the Correctional Facility after he was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment for the charge of kidnapping and was handed a life sentence for rape in the Graaff-Reinet High Court on September 20, 2017.
The Commander of the local FCS Unit which investigates sexual offences, Capt Wena Theron is elated in for the conviction and sentences.
On the same day another local resident, Gaylen Pietersen (23) was convicted in the Graaff-Reinet Regional Court on a charge of rape. His conviction follows an incident on August 9, 2012, when the 45-year-old female victim was dragged into the bushes adjoining Asherville and raped by Pietersen. On 20 September Pietersen’s voluptuousness caught up with him as he was sentenced to an effective prison term of 6 years.
A day after, on September 21, 2017, another rapist found himself been marched to prison after he too was convicted on a charge of rape.
Ricardo Oor (29) was sentenced to an effective 14 years imprisonment and was also declared unfit to possess a firearm after his conviction on the mentioned charges. The court heard that Oor followed the 21-year-old female victim as she was walking home in Umasizakhe during the early hours of April 14, 2016. At a secluded spot, he attacked the victim and forced her to the ground where after she was raped.
The latter three cases were investigated by the Graaff-Reinet Unit Investigating Family Violence, Child Abuse and Sexual Offences cases (FCS).
The Unit Commander, Captain Wena Theron expressed her satisfaction with the convictions and sentences in respect of the latter three cases. Capt Theron warned that there is a notable increase of sexually related incidents occurring among children. A very disturbing phenomenon is the frequent occurrence of young boys raping and sexually assaulting each other.
She warned parents that juveniles will be sentenced if they were to be convicted of sexual offences. The Graaff-Reinet Cluster Commander, Brigadier Adolph congratulated the FCS Unit with the sterling work done in securing the conviction and sentencing in the cases reported herein.
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