TODDLER PUTS RAPIST IN TRONK

A BRAVE meisie has helped convict the man who raped her as a three-year-old. 

This week, Ian Hoggins, 55, was sentenced to an effective life imprisonment by the Thembalethu Regional Court in George following a harrowing case of child rape and sexual assault. 

The case carries profound significance as the victim, a young girl who was only three years old at the time of the assault, is the youngest person in South Africa to ever successfully testify in her own rape case.

Her courageous decision to come forward led to an emotional four-day testimony, where she recounted the traumatic events in a manner that revealed the deep-seated trust she had in the accused, who was known to her family.

Hoggins’ crimes included not only the sexual violation of a minor, but also the illegal possession of a staggering 124 child pornographic images.

Regional Court Magistrate Eugenia Jacobs underscored the gravity of Hoggins’ actions, sentencing him to life imprisonment for rape, along with five years for sexual assault and eight years for the possession of child pornography.

The court also declared him unfit to possess a firearm and ordered his name to be registered in the National Register of Sex Offenders.

The court learned from the victim's account, with her mother and legal representatives describing a well-established relationship between Hoggins and the family.

During her testimony, the young girl spoke of being called to Hoggins' home and subsequently assaulted while his daughter was preoccupied in another room. 

In her own words, she recounted, “Hy het net daai goete gedoen (He just did those things), Ian,” revealing the innocence robbed from her by such heinous acts.

The ordeal for the victim did not end there. 

After bravely telling her mother about the assault on the evening of 30 August 2020, she was subsequently taken for a medical examination that corroborated her traumatic experience. 

However, cross-examination brought additional challenges, requiring the skilful and patient handling of Advocate Gerda Marx, who sought to maintain the young girl's focus through breaks and the use of anatomically correct dolls to demonstrate the assault.

Reports emerged that he attempted to take his own life after the sentencing announcement.