The De Aar Regional Court sentenced 26-year-old Hilton Jafta to 15 years’ direct imprisonment on 29 January 2026 for kidnapping, rape, and statutory rape.
The court found that on 26 October 2024, Jafta forcibly took the victim to his Sunrise, De Aar residence under threats of violence, where he assaulted and raped her. Community members intervened after hearing her screams, leading to his swift arrest by Sunrise police.
Detective Sergeant Ilze Fan of the local Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit later discovered Jafta had fathered a child with the victim while she was a minor, resulting in an added statutory rape charge.
Jafta’s sentence includes entry into the National Sex Offenders Register and a declaration that he is unfit to possess a firearm.