Friday, April 25, 2025 - The Montague Regional Court in Western Cape, South Africa, has sentenced a police officer, Frederick Soldaat to 25 years direct imprisonment for r3ping a 15-year-old girl
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in a statement on
Thursday, April 34, 2025, said the court deviated from the prescribed minimum
sentence of life imprisonment due to the accused’s medical condition.
The court convicted, Soldaat 64, for rape of the minor who
was 15 years old when he r3ped her on 30 August 2016 at the Montagu South
African Police Services Victim Trauma Room.
During the trial, State Adv Heinrich Koert led evidence
which revealed that the victim’s mother brought the victim to the trauma room
following a disagreement with her daughter at home.
The mother requested the police to assist by taking her to
the police station so that she could calm down. Soldaat was one of the police
officers who initially attended the complaint.
Police took the victim to the station and booked her into
the trauma room, where the accused had to complete an admission form
containing, amongst others, the age of the complainant being fifteen at the
time. He later visited her at least twice while she was in the trauma room.
He claimed that the victim complimented the colour of his
eyes. She initially did not resist, but when he started removing her pants, she
then resisted, but he overpowered her. He then r3ped her in the trauma
room.
He left her after he finished raping her. She went home the
next morning and then reported her rape to her mother. Her mother contacted the
police, who resumed their investigation.
The victim pointed out the accused, and the police arrested
him. The state opposed bail, but the court granted him bail. The accused
claimed the s3x took place by consent, and he was unaware of the victim’s age.
The case faced challenges before it could be finalised,
which included it being in the branch court, which only sits once a week, the
accused changing his legal representatives, causing delays as transcripts had
to be typed and allowing preparation time for his legal representative.
Loadshedding, the Covid-19 pandemic and challenges with the
CCTV system and the court recording systems caused some of the delays.
In his arguments, Adv Koert said the accused turned the very
space where victims are supposed to feel protected and safe into the scene of
his crime.
The court needs to restore the trust of the community in the
police so that future victims of such crimes will again feel safe and come
forward so that justice can be seen to be done.
Western Cape Director of
Public Prosecution, Adv. Nicolette Bell welcomed the sentence and expressed
shock at the heinous crime committed by a police officer who was entrusted with
the safety of the minor victim.
Adv Bell said the
sentencing provided justice and closure to the victim, her family and removes
another violent criminal from the community.
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