Woman's partner raped her five-year-old daughter and gave her gonorrhoea

A High Court judge has ruled that a paedophile raped his partner's five-year-old daughter and gave her gonorrhoea.

Justice MacDonald was presiding over a case involving the man's three-year-old child – from another relationship – when he ruled that the man had sexually assaulted the five-year-old girl and given her the sexually transmitted disease.

Sitting in the Family Division of the High Court, Justice MacDonald was assessing who the three-year-old daughter should rightfully live with. However, during litigation, the judge was asked to make findings relating to the rape allegation.

The man was then accused of sexually abusing the five-year-old daughter of his partner at the time. No-one involved in the case has been identified in Justice MacDonald's ruling so as to protect the identities of the children.

Previously, the man had denied having sex with the five-year-old but Justice MacDonald said he had surveyed a "broad canvas of evidence" and concluded he did in fact rape her.

"I am satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the (man) sexually abused (the five-year-old girl) ... by penetrative sexual abuse on at least one occasion," said the judge. As a result ... she was infected with gonorrhoea."