When Vicki Momberg’s intensely racist tirade was caught on camera, South Africans were shocked.
Now, the former real estate agent has been found guilty on “four counts of crimen injuria on November 3 in connection with her rant”, reports News24.
As the sentence was handed down on Wednesday at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court, Momberg wiped away her tears:
The court sentenced her to three years, with one year suspended. That year was suspended for a period of three years on the condition that she did not commit the offence again.
[M]agistrate Pravina Rugoonandan said that everyone had a right to dignity that needed to be respected and protected.
Rugoonandan said the police officers that assisted Momberg were in their uniform ready to serve, and Momberg’s slurs stripped the officers of their dignity.
Here’s the sentencing:
Momberg is the first person in South Africa to be given a prison sentence for crimen injuria, which is a “wilful injury to someone’s dignity, caused by the use of obscene or racially offensive language or gestures”, reports IOL.
In case you forgot about Momberg, this is the video clip that went viral.
In it, we see her complaining about the “calibre of blacks” in Johannesburg, hurling the k-word 48 times at police officers and 10111 operators who had tried to assist following her ordeal:
Shocking, isn’t she?
During a previous sitting, prosecutor Yusuf Baba told the court that Momberg’s was the worst crimen injuria case the court has had dealt with:
Baba quoted from a 2014 case, Prinsloo v State, in which the Supreme Court of Appeal stated that the word k****rs was racially abusive and was used in its injurious sense.
“It is my submission that a suitable sentence is direct imprisonment without the option of a fine,” Baba said at the time.
However, the defence’s Kevin Lawlor countered that “sentencing must be fair and balanced”:
Lawlor asked for Momberg to be sent for rehabilitation instead of direct imprisonment.
A racist rehab? That’s a first.
Lawlor said after falling victim to a smash-and-grab incident Momberg was not in a normal state of mind and was caught in an “emotional storm”.
“She was vulnerable and alone at night. She was victim to a crime,” Lawlor said.
That’s no excuse.
“I can’t stand it!”
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