The Gqeberha High Court has sentenced 27-year-old Lelethu Nkosana to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of eight-year-old Veronique May in Langa, Kariega.
Veronique’s mother, Destiny May, and her grandparents were overcome with emotion as the court delivered the sentence. Family members wept openly in the gallery while being comforted by the investigating officer and members of his team.
Nkosana received two life sentences for rape and murder, as well as three years for housebreaking with the intention to rape and murder. The sentences will run concurrently, meaning life imprisonment is the effective sentence.
The conviction followed a plea and sentence agreement in which Nkosana admitted that he had deliberately targeted the young girl. According to the agreement, Veronique had been playing outside with other children when Nkosana saw her. She reportedly asked him for money, and he agreed to give it to her if she accompanied him to a relative’s house.
When they arrived, the house was locked. Nkosana admitted that he broke into the property with Veronique before raping her. He then strangled the child and struck her on the head with an unidentified object.
Acting Judge Dan Ngoqo described the circumstances surrounding Veronique’s death as deeply disturbing. He said the child had been innocently playing with other children before being taken advantage of by someone she trusted.
The judge also rejected the suggestion that Nkosana’s guilty plea automatically demonstrated genuine remorse. Ngoqo said the evidence against him was overwhelming and that he would likely have been convicted even if he had pleaded not guilty.
Although the judge acknowledged that Nkosana had accepted responsibility, he stressed that accepting responsibility was not necessarily the same as showing remorse.
The court also declared Nkosana unfit to work with children and ordered that his name be placed on the national register for sex offenders.
Veronique’s mother said she had trusted Nkosana because he was a family friend whom she had known for years. She expressed disappointment over his actions and later rejected the apology he offered as he was being led from the courtroom.
Despite her pain, Destiny said she had decided to forgive him because she did not want anger to consume her.
She remembered her daughter as a bright, loving and courageous child who enjoyed being around other children. Destiny described Veronique as the “sunshine” of her community and said she hoped the sentence would finally allow her family to begin healing.
“I think from tonight I will sleep peacefully, because the nightmare is over,” she said.
Veronique’s grandfather, Reginald Malgas, welcomed the life sentence but said no punishment could bring his granddaughter back. He also questioned whether Nkosana could eventually be released on parole.
The case was initially investigated as a missing-person matter. Warrant Officer Mbulelo Grootboom said police traced Nkosana after receiving information that Veronique had last been seen with him.
Police later discovered the child’s body hidden inside a room at a property in De Booi Street.
Grootboom said he kept Veronique’s photograph from the missing-person docket on his desk throughout the investigation. He described the image as a constant reminder of the need to find answers for her family.
For the investigating team, the conviction represented more than the conclusion of a case. Grootboom said it demonstrated the importance of ensuring that investigations ultimately lead to justice for victims and their families.
While the sentence cannot undo the tragedy, Veronique’s family can now begin the difficult process of grieving and remembering the young girl whose life was taken far too soon.
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