Robert Anthony John Hewitt v The State

The appellant, a former internationally renowned tennis player and coach, was convicted in March 2015 on two counts of rape of girls aged approximately 12 and 13, committed in the early 1980s, and one count of indecent assault of a 17-year-old girl committed in 1994. The complainants were his tennis students, whom he groomed and sexually abused during coaching sessions. Due to various factors, including jurisdictional issues, legal advice, and the vulnerability of the complainants, the offences were not successfully prosecuted at the time and only came to trial decades later. At the time of conviction the appellant was 75 years old, a first offender, and suffered from various age-related health conditions. He was sentenced by the Gauteng Division of the High Court to eight years’ imprisonment on each rape count and two years for indecent assault, to run concurrently, with two years of each rape sentence suspended, resulting in an effective sentence of six years’ imprisonment.

The appeal against sentence was dismissed and the effective sentence of six years’ imprisonment was confirmed.

The case affirms South African appellate principles on interference with sentencing discretion and underscores that advanced age, ill health, social status, and delayed prosecution do not in themselves preclude direct imprisonment for serious sexual offences, especially those involving children. It reinforces the judiciary’s strong stance on child rape and abuse of trust, and the importance of deterrence and retribution in such cases.