JOHANNESBURG- A court has sentenced Ashraf Hartley, 34, to five consecutive life terms for repeatedly raping his minor relatives aged between six and 12 years old. The abuse spanned from 2008 to 2021, with one victim being forced to rape their own sister.

The Johannesburg Regional Court heard that Hartley, who was adopted into the family as an infant, used his position of trust to systematically abuse multiple children in the household.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said the crimes came to light after one victim wrote a letter to her mother following a sex education class at school.

“The investigation uncovered a harrowing pattern of abuses perpetrated by the accused,” Mjonondwane said. “At one instance, he forced one victim to rape his sister.”

Police Sergeant Masedi led the investigation that resulted in Hartley being charged with four counts of rape and one count of compelled rape.

Court preparation officer Dineo Theoha worked with the victims to document the profound impact of the abuse. The victims reported losing trust in authority figures and now face significant challenges in rebuilding their self-worth.

“The emotional trauma is deeper, more enduring and goes beyond the words in the victim impact statements,” prosecutor Lorraine Nel told the court.

The presiding judge noted that Hartley showed no remorse for his actions, stating that he had effectively sentenced each victim to carry lifelong trauma.

The National Prosecuting Authority in Gauteng praised the sentence, reaffirming its commitment to pursuing harsh penalties in gender-based violence cases.