Norwich man jailed for multiple rapes of a child

A Norwich man has been jailed for multiple rapes of a child, putting his victim through trauma over a period of years.

Francois Havenga, aged 44, from the Norwich area, appeared at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday 8 November 2024 where he was sentenced to a total of 12 years in prison plus three years on licence.

He had previously denied raping a child under the age of 13 but was found guilty by a jury in July following an eight day trial.

He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life and is subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Havenga was found guilty of six counts of rape of a child.

The court heard the offences took place in the Norwich area over a two-year period.

Following the initial victim disclosure Havenga was arrested, interviewed, charged, and remanded into custody.

He was also found guilty of careless driving when he failed to stop for police on the day the rape allegations were made leading to a police pursuit.

He had previously admitted to drug driving and possession of cannabis and cocaine at the time of his arrest.

A Victim Impact Statement read to the court said: “The impact of what he has done will stay with them (the child) for life.

"I only hope we can give them enough support to be able to work through it and learn to live with the monstrous things Francois Havenga has done.”

Det Con Tabby Goodrum said: “It took a great deal of bravery for the victim to talk about what happened to them.

"What Havenga has done has caused a great deal of trauma and continues to have a profound impact on the victim and their family’s life.

"Not only did Havenga refuse to accept responsibility for what he has done showing absolutely no remorse, which was noted by the judge, he has put the victim and their family through the trauma of a trial.

"We would like to say thank you to them for coming forward to police and hope the fact Havenga is now behind bars will help, at least in some way, to seeing justice done.”

To report a sexual offence, call 999 in an emergency. 101 is the non-emergency police number to report a crime or you can access help and support services here.