The father was sentenced in the Vredenburg Regional Court for the rape and attempted murder of his biological daughter.
A Western Cape man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape and attempted murder of his 13-year-old biological daughter in the Vredenburg Regional Court.
The 41-year-old man cannot be named to protect the identity of the minor child.
The father was convicted on two counts of rape and one count of attempted murder.
The attempted murder conviction followed the State's case that the accused had the intention to kill his daughter by having unprotected sexual intercourse with her while knowing that he was HIV-positive and could infect her with HIV.
The father entered into a plea and sentencing agreement with the State.
Premeditated attack
The court heard that the father had separated from the child’s mother and that she had been living with him since the age of four.
In his plea explanation, the father told the court that on May 25, 2025, his partner showed him pornographic material she claimed was found on the child’s cell phone.
This angered him, and he instructed the child to pack her belongings, telling her he’d take her to her mother's home.
Instead, he drove with her to the back of a beach in Paternoster, where he parked the vehicle in a secluded area. He exited the vehicle, walked around to the passenger side, opened the door, and instructed the child to lie on her back. He then removed her pants and underwear and raped her.
Afterwards, he drove back home with her without taking her to her mother's home as he had indicated.
The father admitted to the court that he knew he was infected with HIV and admitted that by having unprotected sex with his daughter, he knew he could infect her.
Betrayal of trust
In aggravation of sentence, State Prosecutor Chandre Minnaar argued that, at such a tender age, the victim was a child entitled to protection, care, guidance, and security, particularly from her parents. Her youth rendered her especially vulnerable and dependent on the adults entrusted with her care and wellbeing.
Minnaar submitted that it was of grave concern that he was the child’s biological father, who bore a fundamental responsibility to protect her from harm, exploitation, and abuse. His conduct constituted a profound betrayal of the trust inherent in the parent-child relationship.
Further aggravating the offence was the fact that the accused knew that he was HIV-positive but disregarded his daughter's health and life by raping her without using a condom. His conduct constituted a grave violation of her bodily integrity, dignity, and wellbeing.
Enjoy prison
In her victim impact statement, the victim expressed her trauma: “What happened made me feel sad. I was very angry because how could my own father want to do this to me? I did not expect this from him. He disappointed me a lot, but despite this, he remains my father, and I still love him very much,” her statement read.
She further stated: “Daddy, I hope you enjoy prison life. I don't really know what it is like to grow up without a father, which is why I feel sorry for my little sister and brother, but it is your own fault, because how could you."
The father was sentenced to life imprisonment for the first count of rape, 35 years' direct imprisonment for the second count of rape, and 25 years' direct imprisonment for attempted murder. The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently.
The court further declared him unfit to possess a firearm and unfit to work with children. It also ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.
Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Adrian Mopp, welcomed the sentence.
"Gender-based violence and violence against women and children remain matters of serious national concern in South Africa. The President has publicly recognised the gravity of gender-based violence and has called for decisive action to address this scourge,” he said.
Mopp further said this matter must be considered against this broader social context, particularly because the victim was a minor subjected to sexual abuse by a person who was both her biological father and someone from whom she was entitled to expect protection.
The Western Cape spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Eric Ntabazalila, said it remains committed to vigorously prosecuting perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence, particularly those who target children and abuse positions of trust.
“This sentence sends a clear message that those who violate the dignity, bodily integrity and safety of children will face the full might of the law,” Ntabazalila said.