Former soccer coach gets 15 years for sexual abuse of three boys
The abuse came to light when two of the victims didn't return home one evening.
A former soccer coach from Mpumalanga has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexually abusing three young boys between September and October 2023. The Emalahleni Regional Court convicted the 48-year-old man on nine counts, including sexual assault, exploitation, and grooming. The coach, whose identity has been withheld, coached children aged seven to eighteen.
The victims often visited his home in eZinambeni, Vosman, to assist with washing soccer jerseys or socialize. The abuse became known when two victims did not return home one evening. Their parents discovered the coach delaying to open the door upon their arrival. The boys later revealed they had been sexually assaulted by their coach, leading to an investigation by the South African Police Service.
The coach denied all charges, claiming he did not know the victims or coach them. The court found the victims' testimonies credible, consistent, and corroborated. The NPA highlighted the profound emotional and psychological harm caused to the victims, their parents, and the breach of trust by the coach who was supposed to protect and nurture the children.
Following the sentencing, the coach was added to the National Register for Sex Offenders, barred from working with children, and banned from owning firearms.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
