South African man pleads guilty to raping, killing 8-day-old daughter

According to Ferreira’s plea statement, he became enraged when the baby cried due to hunger and a soiled nappy. “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,” he admitted.

He further stated that he decided to sexually assault her because he wanted to “give her something to cry about.”

Brand returned home later that day to find her baby critically injured. Ferreira admitted that he attempted to conceal the severity of the injuries from her, delaying medical attention. The infant was later taken to a hospital but succumbed to head injuries the following day.

The man admitted that he was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time but stated that his drug use did not impair his awareness of his actions. “I knew that my actions were wrong and that the baby could die, yet I continued,” he said in his plea, reported Daily Mail. “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 is set to be sentenced next week.

(With inputs from Daily Mail, News24)