‘He satisfied his perverted lust on a child,’ says Judge as Amantle Samane’s killer is sentenced
The man convicted of raping and murdering six-year-old Amantle Samane was sentenced to life imprisonment in the Johannesburg High Court on Monday.
Phethe Simiao, 25, a Mozambican national, was convicted after pleading guilty to kidnapping, rape, murder, and contravening the Immigration Act for crimes against the young girl from Orlando East in October last year.
In his plea explanation, which was read out by his legal counsel, Simiao provided in-depth details of his crimes against Amantle.
Simiao explained that he was under the influence of alcohol, and he had strangled the young girl in an attempt to conceal the rape.
During the trial, the court heard Amantle’s mother and the community were searching for her, and a witness, who saw the child with Simiao, alerted the community after seeing the child walking with him and knowing he was not a relative.
Upon arriving at the shack, community members discovered Amantle’s half-naked body on the floor.
Simiao, who fled, was tracked and traced by police to Zola in Soweto, where he was arrested on October 23, 2024.
Delivering his sentencing, the judge said Simiao’s failure to testify in his defence leaves many unanswered questions.
“How long did he keep the victim hostage when he went to purchase a beer? How long was she held hostage before she was raped? How long did he rape endure? How long after the rape did he murder her?”
The judge said it found that Simiao had shown no true or genuine remorse.
“The victim was a defenceless and innocent child playing in the street when she was pulled by the accused into his shack. One can only imagine her terror at first being abducted. Her confusion at having her clothing removed. Her pain from having an erect male penis penetrate her vagina,” the judge said.
He said the post-mortem detailed the trauma to the young girl’s genitalia.
“The accused satisfied his perverted lust on a child. The most innocent and vulnerable member of society. Finally, imagine her terror as the accused placed his hand around her neck and choked the very breath of life out of her,” the judge said.
The judge also stated society has had enough of these types of crimes.
“Our society is sick and tired of this epidemic of violence against women and children that has engulfed our country. Our society is sick and tired of the alarming frequency of the rape of children,” the judge said.
The court also touched on the immigration aspect of the case.
Previously, Amantle’s mother testified she had developed a hate for foreigners.
“While that is understandable. One must understand that of the many foreigners that are here in the country, even those who are here unlawfully, many are good and hardworking people who are simply here to seek a better life. The crimes the accused chose to perpetrate have no bearing on his country or on other countries,” the judge said.
The court sentenced Simiao to two years’ imprisonment for kidnapping, life imprisonment for rape, life imprisonment for murder, and two years’ imprisonment for contravening the Immigration Act.
The court ordered all sentences to run concurrently with the life sentences. Effectively, Simiao will be serving life imprisonment.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
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