Dad jailed for beating daughter to death

A man was sentenced to 44 years imprisonment for beating his then 7-year-old daughter to death and burying her in their backyard.

Johannesburg - A 49-year-old Free State man was sentenced to 44 years imprisonment for beating his then seven-year-old daughter to death eight years ago, police said on Monday.

Police spokesperson Sergeant Ikobeng Hlubi said Xolile Makhupula was sentenced on Friday by the Bloemfontein High Court. “Makhupula failed to report his daughter's death and buried her in his yard in Bergman Square in Mangaung.”

According to police, Makhupula's secret was only revealed when his other daughter, now deceased but who was only 12 years old at the time of the incident, revealed that she had witnessed her sister being killed.

“The accused denied that the body which was found at his yard was that of her daughter but the DNA results come back positive that the body found was indeed that of his daughter.”

In March 2014, the crime scene was visited and the remains were found, Hlubi said.

Makhupula ran away but was soon found and arrested a few days later.

“He had been in custody until his sentencing.” Makhupula was found guilty of culpable homicide, assault GBH, defeating the ends of justice, failure to report the death of his child and child abuse for abusing his three children, including the deceased child.

ANA