By our reporter 2.9.2026
A 22-year-old South African man will spend the next 20 years in prison after being found guilty on charges of his raping his biological mother.
The sentence was handed down by Carnarvon Regional Court in northern Cape Town.
According to the prosecution the man’s 42-year-old mother was home in Carnarvon, sleeping when the assault happened on November 23, 2025.
The woman and her partner had both been drinking heavily and both retired to bed.
The accused who had also been drinking at a friend’s house returned home and got sexual aroused seeing his mother and her partner asleep. He pounced on his sleeping mother while she was half way across to oblivion.
But she woke up during the assault and confronting her son, he fled from the house.
The woman told her partner about the incident, after which they reported the matter to the police.
Police spokesperson, Mojalefa Senokoatsane, said the accused initially denied the allegation in a statement following his arrest.
However, DNA evidence later linked him to the offence.
“Faced with the compelling evidence presented by the State, including the complainant’s testimony and the DNA results, the accused ultimately pleaded guilty to the charge of rape,” Senokoatsane said.
The woman told the court during her victim impact statement that she was deeply hurt and betrayed by her son, whom she had raised as a single parent.
She said the assault continues to affect her, adding that she receives counselling and struggles with sleep because of the trauma.
The court considered the guilty plea when determining the sentence but found the seriousness of the offence justified a lengthy prison term.
The man was sentenced to 20 years’ direct imprisonment and ordered to have his details placed on the National Register for Sex Offenders.