Serial rapist Amos Ngobeni has been removed from society – sentenced in the Durban High Court on Wednesday to 10 life terms and a collective 235 years’ imprisonment.
Ngobeni, a Zimbabwean national, had stalked the streets of Inanda and ra_ped 19 women over several years. The 30-year-old artisan and father of four will now spend the unforeseeable future behind bars.
For one victim of Ngobeni — who was violated in front of her helpless boyfriend six years ago, the fear and shame of her ordeal linger on.
“I was afraid to even go out of the house, especially at night. I would have to make sure that all the doors were locked all the time,” the woman said.
The woman, who cannot be named in terms of the SA press code of conduct as a ra_pe victim, told of how the attack had changed her life.
“The shame and embarrassment of looking at my neighbours was too much, it was as if I was losing my mind and I would run away if I saw a person walking towards me,” she said.
“I couldn’t sleep at night and every time I closed my eyes the memories of that night would flash back to me,” she added in her victim statement ahead of Ngobeni’s sentencing.
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