The National Prosecuting Authority and rights group have called on the Johannesburg High Court to impose multiple life terms on convicted rapist and self proclaimed pastor Bheki Dingiso who was found guilty of raping scores of boys and young men who attended his church in Katlehong.
Dingiso has denied raping any of the complainants and was convicted after each gave an account to the court about how he manipulated and raped them on more than one occasion
On Monday social workers read reports of interviews they had with the victims with most of them indicating they were initially too ashamed to report the violations.
They shared the physical and emotional pain they went through at the hands of their supposed spiritual leader whom they had trusted with their lives.
“I could not go to the bathroom for some time after every occasion he penetrated me. He was forceful and aggressive. The pain would take 3 days to heal,” said one victim in a report read by a social worker.
Bheki Kubheka, Gender Based Violence activist leading a protest outside court said it has become too common for people masquerading as pastors to rape unsuspecting children.
“We are because of the pastor who raped 38 boys and we are saying this court, the high court must sentence him, he must get double life sentence. We are not going to tolerate people who pretend to be pastors and rape our children. We are saying as gays and men who are here against gender based violence and femicide. We are saying that man must rot in jail. This country is not a banana republic he must be condemned to jail, “he said.
Dingiso targeted his victims in the church and even in their homes while their parents were not that far and had led him in.
“It was first a massage, then more manages over more visits then he pushed me hard and penetrated me. I was so hurt physically and emotionally. When I told my family they dismissed me then he raped me again,” a social worker report claim a man as saying of his experience of the rapist pastor.
Dingiso was convicted on more than 30 charges including rape, attempted rape and sexual grooming among others. His sentencing has been postponed to the 3rd of April.
