Man Jailed for Life After Raping 70-Year-Old Neighbor
The Honorable Justice of the High Court of South Africa has sentenced one Lindile Hini, 44, to life imprisonment for the rape of his 70-year-old female neighbor.
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The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in a statement on Friday, April 4, 2025, indicated that the court went on to impose a further three years’ sentence for house-breaking with intent to commit rape, and a two-year sentence for contravening the Older Persons Act, on Hini.
The offences happened on the eve of 29 October 2023 in Kwazakhele, Gqeberha.
“The pensioner was at home in Kwazakhele, sleeping with the lights on, and had left the back door unlocked for her son. Hini, her next-door neighbor since 1984, entered the house through the back door, undressed, and told her he had been waiting for “the opportunity” for some time. He then forcibly removed her pants and sexually assaulted her,” reads the statement.
After the incident, Hini requested a bucket of water, washed his genitals, got dressed, and left.
The complainant later told a friend her neighbor had raped her. She then informed her son, who arranged for the police to be contacted, the very next day.
Hini was arrested at his residence on November 2, 2023, while the complainant was taken to the Thuthuzela Care Centre for medical care, counseling, and therapy to address the physical and emotional aspects of her experience.
Senior State Advocate Ansiot Kimfley argued that a fitting sentence in these instances would consider the premeditated nature of the assault since Hini had confessed that he was a man who had had lustful thoughts about the complainant for quite some time.
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Kimfley further argued that the attack was very brutal because Hini calculatedly gained entrance into the complainants’ home without any regard for the complainants’ safety, saying: “this was brutal.”.
In his defense, Hini claimed that the old woman seduced him while drunk. This was dismissed by the court, which found that it was evident that the complainant, a vulnerable woman in her seventies, underwent a violent, non-consensual attack.
As summarized in the Victim Impact Statement prepared by Court Preparation Officer Ayanda Heugh, “she expressed suicidal thoughts and fear,” yet decided to sell her house because she fears Hini may not be sentenced and hence will continue living in fear.
Hini is a first-time offender and was found guilty on January 16, 2025, and has been imprisoned since his arrest. His sentences will run concurrently with the life sentence. It was also ordered that Hini may not possess a firearm, and his name will be entered into the sex offenders register.
The Director of Public Prosecutions in the Eastern Cape, Mr Barry Madolo, welcomed the sentence, emphasizing that it sends a very strong message about how seriously such crimes are treated by the courts.
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