THOHOYANDOU - Another senior police officer was given a life sentence by the Thohoyandou High Court last for Friday afternoon for raping his two daughters.

Judge Ephraim Makgoaba sentenced the 44-year-old inspector (name withheld to protect his daughters) to life term for raping his two daughters aged 16 and 18. The Child Protection Unit arrested him last December after his wife had reported that he had been raping his blood daughters for the past ten years.

The elder daughter approached her mother about the rapes and the accused then apologised to the mother, after confirming the rapes. He also promised that he would stop abusing the children, said Capt Ailwei Mushavhanamadi, spokesperson of the police in the Far North.

In a surprising move, on December 15, the officer then approached his elder daughter and instructed not to lock the window of her bedroom, the one that he used to gain entrance before. When the daughter realised that her father intended to continue with his deeds, she informed her mother, who advised her to close the window in order to prevent him from entering their bedroom.

Later that same evening, he got up from the bed he was sharing with his wife and proceeded to his daughter's bedroom window. "On his arrival, he discovered that the window was closed and he started knocking until his wife arrived.

The Inspector then saw his wife coming to him and he threatened her. She managed to flee from the scene and with her two daughters, they laid a charge against him, said Mushavhanamadi.

Passing judgment, Justice Makgoba said that rape is a serious crime. "Time and again people are complaining about alarming incidents of child rape. It seems people do not consider this. You did not only shame your family, but you also brought the SAPS' image into disrepute," said Makgoba. He gave the policeman the option of leave to appeal after passing the judgment.

Shortly after the passing of judgment, the inspector broke uncontrollably into tears in the court, while family members where trying to comfort him. His wife and children (victims) were observing the incident from their own site.