{
  "id": 10632648,
  "title": "Father accused of sexually assaulting twin daughters asks court to restore contact",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/father-accused-of-sexually-assaulting-twin-daughters-asks-court-to",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-29T07:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/thepost/news/2026-09-29-father-accused-of-sexually-assaulting-twin-daughters-asks-court-to-restore-contact/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A father accused of sexually assaulting his twin four-year-old daughters has lost his attempt to force the police to conclude their investigation and restore his parental rights. Acting Judge D van den Bogert dismissed the man's application in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, ruling that there was no evidence to suggest the police had intentionally delayed the probe. The father, representing himself, sought an order compelling the Minister of Police to finalize the investigation within seven days and provide written confirmation of its outcome. He also wanted the court to order that primary residence and contact with his children be returned to him if the investigation was not completed within that time frame or if it showed he should not be prosecuted. The children, born in September 2022, were allegedly subjected to the assaults in July 2026, leading to the mother's report to the police. The father, who had been living apart from the children and their mother since August 2025, denied the allegations. Despite his claims, the court found no evidence of police refusal or unreasonable delay, stating that the seven-day demand was unreasonable.",
  "summary": "The Pretoria High Court dismissed a father’s urgent application to compel police to finalise an investigation into allegations that he sexually assaulted his four-year-old twin daughters, finding no evidence of deliberate or unreasonable delay.",
  "key_points": [
    "Father accused of sexually assaulting twin four-year-old daughters.",
    "Court dismisses father's request to restore parental rights and force police investigation.",
    "Seven-day demand by father deemed unreasonable by Acting Judge D van den Bogert."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The court's decision shifts the focus back to the police investigation, leaving the accused father's parental rights and the children's living arrangements uncertain pending the probe's outcome.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}