Many residents expressed shock, disbelief and outrage this week after a resident of Welverdiend, south-west of Johannesburg, was taken into custody for raping and murdering his baby daughter.

The police arrested the father (36) last Friday.

He had reportedly taken the fully-clothed eight-day-old baby girl from her mother (37) and exited the back room they had rented the day before.

When he returned sometime later, the child was naked and injured. The mother went to the woman living in the main house on the property and showed her the injured baby. The woman phoned an ambulance and the police.

The ambulance transported the baby to Carletonville Hospital, where she died the next morning.

The father appeared in the Oberholzer Magistrate’s Court on Monday, and Carletonville Herald learnt he had already confessed to the crime.

According to sources, he has had several clashes with the law for various crimes in the past.

The little body of the baby girl underwent a post-mortem in Carletonville on Tuesday.

Shocked residents

Several residents expressed horror at the crime and asked on social media whether it was preventable.

“Maybe we are all guilty because we knew the situation at this household but did not act earlier. Maybe we could have saved her,” one resident commented.

“We never received complaints that this child was mistreated or in danger, otherwise, we would have stepped in and removed her,” said the senior social worker at the SAVF in Carletonville, Lin-Claire van Wyk. Welverdiend falls under the jurisdiction of this organisation for social services.

She added that the death was even more devastating because it happened during Child Protection Week, celebrated annually to raise awareness of children’s rights.

Van Wyk called on members of the public who know about mistreated children to immediately notify the organisation by calling their offices on 018 786 1016/8 or contact them via their Facebook page: Savf Carletonville.

The public can also report such situations at clinics or the SAPS.

What the law says

According to Section 54 of the Sexual Offences Act of 2003, the public is obligated to report sexual offences against children or mentally disabled persons.

Childcare activist Terry Ann Terblanche, also known as Pixie Pink Victim’s Advocate, raised further attention on her Facebook page.

Since the man is accused of a sexual crime, his name may not be published until he has officially pleaded to the crime, as per Section 154 (2)(b) of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977.

However, Cape Town activist Caroline Peters is challenging the law that prevents publicly naming someone accused of rape or other sexual offences before they have pleaded.

The matter is yet to be settled.