Calvinia man who raped sleeping 14-year-old gets 22 years and a lifetime ban from owning a gun

A 27-year-old man convicted of raping a 14-year-old girl in Calvinia has been sentenced to 22 years in prison, the South African Police Service (SAPS) said in a statement issued through the Office of the Provincial Commissioner for the Northern Cape.

The attack happened on 28 August 2023, while the girl was asleep in her friend’s bedroom. According to the police account, the man entered the bedroom and raped her. Her friend, who was in the room at the time, saw what happened and immediately alerted the girl’s mother. Police were called and the man was arrested.

The case went to Detective Sergeant Jacques Nielsen of the Calvinia Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit, who police say linked the accused to the crime through the investigation.

The man appeared in court several times before the case closed on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, when he pleaded guilty to rape. He was sentenced to 22 years’ imprisonment.

The court also ordered that his particulars be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders and declared him unfit to possess a firearm.

The Northern Cape provincial management commended Nielsen for what it described as his professionalism, dedication and thorough investigative work, which it says contributed to the conviction and the sentence.

SAPS said it remains committed to investigating crimes against women, children and other vulnerable people, and encouraged communities to report abuse and sexual violence and to work with police on those cases.

The statement was issued as a media statement by the Office of the Provincial Commissioner for the Northern Cape. Enquiries on the case are directed to Warrant Officer Molefi Shemane on 071 310 9507. The original statement is published at https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroom/msspeechdetail.php?nid=72272.