The teen's mother failed to protect her daughter by allegedly refusing to believe her in a bid to protect her marriage.
A 39-year-old father from Lindelani, Benoni, accused of raping and impregnating his daughter, will remain behind bars after he was denied bail.
The man, who has not been named, appeared in the Tsakani Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday following his initial court appearance on 08 August 2025.
During the bail application, the father asked the court to release him on R1 000 bail, citing his role as the primary caregiver for his three children, aged one, 12, and 18, since his unemployed wife cannot support them.
Bail denied
However, state prosecutor Sindi Leonora Sejake called investigating officer Sergeant Tebogo Lephoto, who opposed the father’s release on bail because the state had a strong case against him.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said DNA evidence revealed that the man was the father of his daughter’s three-year-old child.
“Furthermore, the investigating officer testified that the accused is likely to interfere with witnesses since he went to Limpopo from Gauteng in an attempt to confront the child after he realised that the child had opened a case against him and was speaking about the matter on social media.
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“Magistrate Tebogo Lekgau denied bail, noting the severity of the charge and the likelihood of a life sentence if convicted. She emphasised the strong state case, the accused’s potential to evade trial, and the community outcry that prompted the family’s relocation,” Mahanjana said.
Daughter failed
Mahanjana added that the magistrate said the child was failed by her father as he allegedly repeatedly raped her, while her mother also failed to protect her by refusing to believe her in a bid to protect her marriage.
“Therefore, the court found that the accused failed to convince the court that it was in the interest of justice to release him on bail.”
The case was postponed to 28 August 2025 for a regional court decision.
Abuse
According to Mahanjana, the alleged abuse began in March 2022 while the man’s daughter, who was 15 years old at the time, lived with her parents and younger brother in Tsakani.
“On the day of the first incident, the mother was at church, leaving the victim with her father and brother. It is alleged that the father called his daughter into the house while playing outside and sent her brother to buy chips from the shops.
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“When the teen got inside the house, she found the father in her room, and she went to inquire why he had called her. The father allegedly locked the door behind her, undressed both himself and the victim, raped her, and left her in her room,” Mahanjana said.
Abortion
When the mother returned, she found her daughter crying on her bed and asked what had happened.
“The victim disclosed what had happened. However, the mother allegedly did not believe her. After the first incident, it is alleged that a second incident happened; however, the mother still did not believe the victim until she stopped telling her about the rape incidents that continued to happen when the mother was not around,” Mahanjana said.
“A while later, the victim fell ill, and the mother took her to Pholosong hospital, where it was confirmed that the child was pregnant. On an unspecified date, the mother allegedly brought a mixture of concoction and told the child to drink in an attempt to abort her baby, which failed.”
Arrest
Mahanjana said the parents then moved their daughter to Limpopo to live with her paternal grandmother, where she gave birth to a boy in December 2022.
“After turning 18, the daughter opened a case in Limpopo on 07 July 2025, resulting in the father’s arrest on 19 July 2025,” Mahanjana said.
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