The Gqeberha High Court has sentenced a Kouga man (58) to life imprisonment for his role in over 700 sexual offences, including possession and production of child pornography, human trafficking, sexual exploitation of minors, and failing to report sexual offences against a child.
Presiding Judge Nyameko Wellman Gqamana handed down the sentence at the Gqeberha High Court on Thursday, April 25, condemning the father’s actions as degrading, brutal, and dehumanising. He emphasised the severity of the offences, acknowledging the psychological and emotional trauma inflicted on the victim, who was under 16 at the time of the crimes.
“The rape of a daughter by her father hinders the proper growth of young girls,” said Judge Gqamana. “The effect of rape is a degrading and humiliating assault on one’s private space and fundamental rights. Human trafficking is a dehumanising crime that reduces people to mere commodities. Child pornography undermines the dignity of children and contributes to a culture that diminishes their worth.”
The 58-year-old father was accused of exposing his teenage daughter (now 19) and stepson (now 21) to pornography from a young age. He then coerced the half-siblings to perform sexual acts on one another while recording the abuses. Evidence revealed that the offences occurred over several years before his arrest in 2022.
The court heard harrowing testimony from the daughter yesterday, April 23, outlining the lasting effects of her father’s crimes. She detailed her struggle with nightmares, self-harm, and substance abuse as ways of coping with the trauma.
“She described how her life has been ruined,” remarked Judge Gqamana. “The psychological effects are severe. She displayed courage in court, while the accused showed no remorse, nor even the slightest reaction during her testimony.”
Despite the father’s age (58), deteriorating health, and being a first-time offender, Judge Gqamana ruled that rehabilitation was impossible, stating that the accused had betrayed the highest position of trust – as a father. “Courts cannot and will not tolerate any form of sexual abuse. The accused must be punished severely to send a strong message. Children deserve protection, and society cannot condone such heinous acts,” the judge said.
The offences’ seriousness was compounded by the duration of their concealment, their devastating impact on the children, and the accused’s failure to take responsibility. “Even at this late stage, the accused maintains his innocence. Rehabilitation is out of the question,” Judge Gqamana concluded.
The sentencing includes:
Life imprisonment on counts 726 and 728.
Fifteen (15) years imprisonment on count 719.
Ten (10) years imprisonment on counts 720 to 723.
Ten (10) years imprisonment on counts 730 and 731.
Ten (10) years imprisonment on counts 739 and 741.
Five (5) years imprisonment on counts 4 to 714.
Five (5) years imprisonment on counts 742, 743, 744, and 745.
Five (5) years imprisonment on counts 746 to 748.
Two (2) years imprisonment on counts 718, 736, 737, and 738.
All sentences are ordered to run concurrently with the life sentences. The accused is deemed unfit to possess a firearm, and his name is to be entered into the sexual offenders’ registry.
Yesterday, the state prosecutor, Ismat Certfontein, described the father as a “King of darkness” due to the heinous nature of his crimes. “He violated the highest position of trust in society – that of a parent. His actions have irreparably damaged his victims and disrupted the lives of his children, who are now in foster care,” she said.
The defence filed for leave to appeal, but was turned down by Judge Gqamana.
