Young girl's testimony secures life sentence for rapist

THE resilience of a little girl — the youngest person to testify in her own rape case in South Africa — has been lauded for ensuring the prosecution and sentencing of a 55-year-old George man to life imprisonment.

- MERCURY CORRESPONDENT

The victim was three years old when she was raped and sexually assaulted. She was four years old when she testified for four consecutive days.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said the Thembalethu Regional Court sentenced child rapist Ian Hoggins to life imprisonment after the State successfully argued that there was no other fitting sentence following his conviction for child rape, sexual assault, and illegal possession of 124 child pornographic images.

The court declared him unfit to possess a firearm and ordered his name to be entered into the National Register of Sex Offenders.

According to the NPA, after the court ruled that Hoggins must serve his sentence, he attempted to commit suicide in court and had to be rushed to the hospital.