Man, 37, Pleads Guilty To Rape And Murder Of His Eight-Day-Old Daughter

A 37-year-old South African man who pleaded guilty to raping and beating his eight-day-old daughter to death, will be sentenced next Thursday.

Hugo Ferreira of Welverdiend near Carletonville appeared in the Pretoria High Court before Judge Portia Dipuo Phahlane on March 25, 2025, facing charges related to the death of his infant daughter.

According to court documents, the tragedy occurred on June 8, 2023, when the child’s mother, Maureen Brand, left the baby in Ferreira’s care while she went to sell clothes to buy nappies. Upon her return, she found the baby severely injured from physical and sexual assault.

The infant was rushed to Carletonville Hospital but succumbed to head injuries the following day.

In his plea explanation, Ferreira claimed he was “unhappy” about being left with the baby and had instructed Brand to return within five minutes as the child needed breastfeeding. When the baby continued crying from hunger and a soiled nappy, Ferreira admitted to becoming “angry and frustrated” while attempting to change her.

“I grabbed the baby hard at the back of her neck and hit her buttocks repeatedly. In the process I pushed her head against the surface on which I was working. I accept that it was a cruel and gruesome attack, especially on such a young baby. The action was clearly illegal and I did it with intent,” Ferreira said in his plea.

He added that he then ‘decided to give her something to cry about’, after which he assaulted her sexually as well.

“When her mother returned, I realised she would see that something was wrong. I kept the baby away from her until later the day. I did this because I realised the baby was seriously injured.”