A 44-year-old man, Lindile Hini, has been sentenced to life in prison by the High Court in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, South Africa, for raping his 70-year-old neighbour.

The court also gave Hini three more years for breaking into her home with the intent to rape her, and two years for breaking the Older Persons Act. These sentences will run together with his life sentence.

The incident happened on the night of 29 October 2023 in Kwazakhele, Gqeberha. The elderly woman was asleep with her lights on and had left her back door open for her son. Hini, who had been her neighbour since 1984, entered her house through the back door, removed his clothes, and said he had been waiting for this moment. He then forcibly removed her pants and sexually assaulted her.

After the assault, he asked for a bucket of water, cleaned himself, got dressed, and left.

The next day, the woman told a friend and her son what had happened. They then reported it to the police, and Hini was arrested on 2 November 2023. The victim received medical and emotional support at the Thuthuzela Care Centre.

In court, Hini claimed the woman was drunk and seduced him, but the court found this to be false. The judge said the attack was violent and planned.

A Victim Impact Statement shared that the elderly woman felt scared and had even thought of suicide. She later decided to sell her home out of fear that Hini might return.

Even though this was Hini’s first crime, the court gave him the highest punishment. He is also banned from owning a gun, and his name is now listed in the sex offenders register.

Eastern Cape’s top prosecutor, Barry Madolo, said the sentence shows the justice system takes crimes against the elderly very seriously.