Gauteng Man Appears in Court for the Rape of His One-Year-Old Granddaughter, South Africans Outraged
- A 58-year-old man appeared in the Johannesburg Central Magistrate's Court facing charges of rape and attempted murder
- The man was arrested after the baby's mother found the little girl bloodied and bruised in the bed she was sleeping in
- South Africans weighed in on the crime, with many expressing anger and outrage, calling for harsher punishments
Source: Getty Images
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
GAUTENG - South Africans are outraged after a 58-year-old man appeared in court for the brutal rape of a one-year-old baby girl, who happens to be his granddaughter.
The man, who has not been named as yet, appeared in the Johannesburg Central Magistrate's Court, facing charges of rape and attempted murder.
The attempted murder charges were added after it was confirmed that the 58-year-old is HIV-positive.
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Mother describes finding her daughter bruised and bleeding
Speaking to eNCA about the incident, the mother of the one-year-old explained what happened. She said that she had left the child to sleep at the house, where her father was, and had gone to end-of-year celebrations.
When she returned and checked on her daughter, she found the little girl's face was bruised, and there was blood on the pillow. When she questioned her father about it, he claimed that the baby fell off the bed.
The emotional mother further explained that she then picked up her daughter, who was crying, and when she wanted to change her nappy, she realised the true horror of the situation.
Struggling to speak through the tears, she said that her daughter's private parts were bruised, and it was then that she rushed the child to a clinic in Claremont.
The 58-year-old was arrested soon after and is expected to return to the Johannesburg Central Magistrate’s Court on 12 January 2026 for a bail hearing. The one-year-old remains in the hospital.
South Africans outraged by the crime
Social media users expressed disgust and outrage over the crime, calling for harsher punishments.
Rosalind Spencer Stone exclaimed:
"Death penalty. I was always against it, but we simply cannot waste money keeping these monsters in prison, and then placing children at risk when he is released after a couple of years."
Kheneth Masuku suggested:
"Is the perpetrator still alive? Don't arrest him. Bring him to the community. We want to chat with him."
Sunset Moya stated:
"Demons. Pure souls are their feast for senseless thoughts. Protect children at all costs."
Touchdown Pheli said:
"If it were my child, I would not involve the police."
Nombuso Nuh Mchunu added:
"Such cases should not even be heard in court; this hooliganism behaviour should be dealt with harshly; there is no sentencing penalty that can provide justice. Poor baby."
Sammie Mtolo'muhle LaSilubane noted:
"He is 58 years old and HIV positive. The whole grandfather, sies. I'm hurt.
Anneke Botha exclaimed:
"I feel sick reading this! Sending healing prayers for this baby girl."
Thandiwe Patricia Ndaba stated:
"This person is evil and doesn't deserve to live."
Childminder arrested after toddler is assaulted
Briefly News reported that a childminder in Jeffreys Bay was arrested after a two-year-old girl was stabbed numerous times.
The woman was allegedly under the influence of alcohol when the child was harmed on New Year's Day.
The childminder faces charges of child neglect and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
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Source: Briefly News
