The Pretoria High Court heard how Hugo Ferreira, 37, subjected his baby daughter to vile abuse and rape after she was left alone with him on 8th June 2023.

Maureen Brand, the baby’s mother, had left the girl alone with him to sell clothes and buy nappies. But upon her return later that day, she found her baby severely injured after being assaulted physically and sexually.

Hugo Ferreira, 37, has admitted to raping and murdering his baby daughter
The innocent baby, who was just one week old, was taken to hospital where she died the following day due to head injuries.

Twisted Ferreira said that he wanted to give his daughter ‘something to cry about’, saying in his plea that he was ‘unhappy’ because Brand had left the baby with him and had said she would be back in five minutes.

But when Brand didn’t return, and the baby girl began to cry because she was hungry and needed her nappy changed, Ferreira became angry and unleashed his horrific attack on the infant.

‘I grabbed the baby hard at the back of her neck and hit her buttocks repeatedly’, he said.

Ferreira is set to be sentenced next week at Pretoria High Court in South Africa
‘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.’

He then said that he decided to assault her sexually because he had ‘decided to give her something to cry about.’

He added: ‘When her mother returned, I realised she would see that something was wrong.

‘I kept the baby away from her until later the day. I did this because I realised the baby was seriously injured.’

Ferreira said in his plea exclamation that he knew that his actions were wrong and that the baby could die, adding that he continued despite knowing this.

He also said that he was under the influence of methamphetamine but added that the substance did not influence him to the point where he was not accountable for his actions.

The wicked crime was committed in Welverdiend, west of Johannesburg.

He has threatened to kill his ex-wife if he is not jailed, according to news24.

Ferreira is set to be sentenced next week.