{
  "id": 17781771,
  "title": "HIV-positive father sentenced to life for raping his 13-year-old daughter",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/02/hiv-positive-father-sentenced-to-life-for-raping-his-13-year-old",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-11-02T10:14:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/news/hiv-positive-father-sentenced-to-life-for-raping-his-13-year-old-daughter/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A 41-year-old man with HIV will serve life in prison for raping and attempting to murder his own 13-year-old daughter, according to the Vredenburg Regional Court. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) secured the conviction after the perpetrator agreed to a plea-and-sentence deal. The court sentenced him to life for rape, 35 years for a second count of rape, and 25 years for attempted murder, all sentences running concurrently. The brutal assault occurred on May 23, 2025, after the father allegedly discovered pornographic material on his partner's daughter's phone. Instead of driving her to her mother's house, as promised, the father took her to a secluded beach area in Paternoster, South Africa. There, he forced her to lie down in the car and raped her without using a condom, then returned her home without taking her to her mother's house. The court found him guilty of attempting to murder his daughter due to his knowing decision to engage in unprotected sex while aware of his HIV-positive status, showing a clear intent to infect her with a life-threatening virus. A Victim Impact Statement revealed the girl's profound sense of betrayal and anger towards her father, who she still considers her biological parent. The prosecutor emphasized the father's total disregard for his daughter's life and dignity, as well as his profound betrayal of the trust inherent in their parent-child relationship. The court also declared him unfit to possess firearms and work with children, and ordered his details added to the National Register for Sex Offenders. The prosecutor welcomed the harsh ruling, highlighting the ongoing crisis of gender-based violence in South Africa, particularly when a minor is subjected to sexual abuse by someone who should provide protection.",
  "summary": "'How could my own father want to do this to me? I did not expect this from him...despite this, he remains my father, and I still love him very much.'",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "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."
}