Eldorado Park father convicted of raping and murdering young daughter

The Johannesburg High Court has convicted the Eldorado Park father who raped and murdered his four-year-old daughter and assaulted his three-year-old son.

The trial of the couple charged in connection with the death of their four-year-old daughter and the assault of their three-year-old son started in the Johannesburg High Court on Tuesday, 20 October 2026.

Eldorado Park father convicted for rape and murder

Legal Aid South Africa (Judicare) is representing the accused. The court is withholding their identities to protect their surviving child.

On Thursday, the court convicted the 34-year-old father after he pleaded guilty to all the charges against him on Tuesday.

The state charged him with child abuse, rape and murder. His daughter died in August 2025.

The state accepted his plea, and the court subsequently convicted him of murder and two counts of rape, child abuse, assault and resisting arrest.

In his plea statement, the father admitted to assaulting his daughter by hitting and biting her several times before drowning her in a bath. The drowning resulted in the child’s death.

Father admits to hitting, biting and drowning daughter

He also admitted to raping the child while her mother was at work on the day of the incident and assaulting his son on 13 March 2025.

On the day of the incident, the child screamed in agony, and neighbours heard her cries and alerted the police.

Police found the daughter unconscious on a bed with visible head injuries, bruises and a swollen eye.

She was subsequently rushed to the hospital, but she succumbed to her injuries after two days in the intensive care unit.

The children’s 32-year-old mother pleaded not guilty. She faces charges including child abuse, failure to report sexual offences and murder.

Mother pleaded not guilty to charges

The state alleges that the mother knew about her daughter’s injuries. But she failed to report the matter to the relevant authorities.

The court postponed the case to 23 October to sentence the father and to allow the state to apply for a separation of trials.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomed the conviction as an important step toward ensuring accountability for the crimes committed against the young children.

“Children are among the most vulnerable members of society, and the NPA remains resolute in prosecuting those who perpetrate sexual and physical violence against them and in seeking sentences that reflect the gravity of these offences,” NPA spokesperson Magaboke Mohlatlole said.