22-year-old man gets 20 years for sexually assaulting his mother

A 22-year-old South African man has been jailed for 20 years after raping his biological mother at her home in Carnarvon, Northern Cape.

The man was sentenced by the Carnarvon Regional Court after DNA evidence connected him to the November 2025 assault, and he eventually pleaded guilty to rape.

The 42-year-old woman was at home with her partner on November 23, 2025, when the incident happened; both had been drinking before going to sleep.

The accused had also been drinking at a friend’s house before returning home.

He found his mother and her partner asleep and sexually assaulted his mother while she was unconscious.

She woke up during the assault and realised what was happening.

After 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.

NPA 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.