“This case reaffirms our unwavering commitment to combating gender-based violence and femicide, ensuring that perpetrators face the full weight of justice.”

These are the words of the spokesperson of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in Gauteng, Lumka Mahanjana, following the sentencing of a resident of Welverdiend, Hugo Ferreira, for raping and murdering his baby daughter who was only eight days old.

Ferreira (38), who had pleaded guilty, was sentenced to two life sentences in the Pretoria High Court on April 3 for raping and murdering his baby daughter, Caithlyn.
His name will also be included in the national registry of sex offenders.

While sentencing Ferreira, Judge Portia Phahlane said that there is sufficient and acceptable evidence to sentence him to the maximum sentence for each of his crimes.

She also took into consideration the degree and extent of the violence and cruelty of the crime.

“This was a cruel crime that should not happen to any human,” the judge said.

Judge Phahlane also ruled that the murder was premeditated and that Ferreira did not show remorse and cannot be rehabilitated.

“He knew he was going to kill the deceased and went on with his plan to kill her,” she said.

She also said that Ferreira “was stingy with the truth and downplayed his part in her death”.

Among the child’s injuries, she had various injuries to her private parts and anal areas and there was a needle mark in her left groin.

There was also damage to the baby’s thyroid bone, which shows that she might have been strangled.

Judge Phahlane ruled that his guilty plea stemmed from overwhelming evidence the state had against him, not genuine remorse, and found no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the minimum sentence.

Ferreira had said during his guilty plea that he had acted out of anger against the child’s mother, with whom he had been living in a back room at one of the railway houses in Welverdiend at the time of the crime.

Ferreira had five previous convictions, including one for assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm in 2022.

Advocates Andre Wilsenach and Karla Germishuis were the state prosecutors.

“I feel that justice has been served, but it will never bring back the little girl,” said the investigating officer, Captain Jacques Nagel of the Carletonville Detectives.

A large group of members of the gender-based violence advocacy group, Gender Based Violence Brigade, also attended the case.

“What is wrong with our society? What can be done to stop incidents like this from happening?” asked Maria Ramatsie of the Gender Based Violence Brigade.
Ferreira is serving his sentence at the Kgosi Mampuru C-Max Prison in Pretoria.