Hugo Ferreira, a 37-year-old South African man, confessed to the horrific rape and murder of his newborn daughter. He subjected the infant to extreme physical and sexual abuse at their home in June 2023, resulting in her death from severe head injuries.
The crime was motivated by anger and a desire to cause the baby pain, and Ferreira admitted to acting intentionally and cruelly, according to a report by News24.
The media outlet reported that the infant’s mother, Maureen Brand, had left the pair alone to sell clothes to buy nappies. On her return, Ms Brand found the baby fatally injured – having endured physical and sexual abuse.
The newborn was rushed to the nearby hospital but she died of her injuries.
Explaining his action, Ferreira said that he wanted to give the infant “something to cry about”. In his plea, he further said that he was “unhappy” at being left alone with the baby.
He had ordered Maureen to return within five minutes to breastfeed the infant and became angry when she didn’t.
The girl then began crying, which enraged him further, he said.
In a callous account of his heinous crime, Ferreira said: “I grabbed the baby hard at the back of her neck and hit her […] 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’s motive for the sexual assault was a calculated attempt to inflict more pain on the already injured infant. He deliberately hid her injuries from her mother, knowing the severity of her condition, and continued his brutal assault, fully aware of the risk of death. He conceded that while he had used methamphetamine, it did not impair his ability to understand his actions. He has also made death threats toward his ex-wife.
He awaits his sentencing for the crime committed in a railway house near Welverdiend.