The biological father of a four-year-old girl who was allegedly savagely beaten by her mother in Phoenix‚ north of Durban‚ had not seen his child since September last year.

Amidst rumours on social media that he was facing a charge for allegedly sexually abusing his daughter‚ the 33-year-old call centre agent spoke through his attorney on Monday.

"The rumours on social media that my client has pending cases including one of sexual assault against him are devoid of all truth. My client emphatically denies that he has ever done anything [other] than love his baby.

"The matter is currently sub judice but the full truth behind the allegations will emerge in due course‚" Durban attorney Kelvin Walker told TimesLIVE. Walker said when his client found out that his child was hospitalised following the brutal beating‚ he had to search for her as she was admitted under a false name and surname.

"My client was naturally most upset with his wife‚ the police and Child Welfare had not advised him."

Walker said the Phoenix man was in a custody battle following a separation from the child's mother in October 2016.

"Although he entered into an interim parenting plan with the child’s mother in July 2017 in terms of which my client was entitled to access on alternate weekends‚ my client has been denied access to the minor child since September 1 2017‚" he said.

The father has since visited the child daily since February 25.

Walker said his client has not watched the entire video clip of the assault‚ which the child's mother's boyfriend had allegedly filmed.

"It shocked him to core. He was horrified that the woman he once loved and the mother of his minor child was capable of such violence.

"My client is feeling shattered at the moment as he is battling to understand how somebody is capable of harming an innocent child. At the same time he is determined and committed to do everything in his capacity to ensure that his child has a normal upbringing going forward‚" Walker said.

According to police‚ the girl was thrashed to the point where she fell unconscious – all because she scuffed her 25-year-old mother’s boyfriend’s shoes.

The 20-year-old boyfriend allegedly punched the child and threw her against a cabinet.

“It is further alleged that the boyfriend threatened to kill the complainant if she did not assault the victim as well‚" KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said.

The child was rushed to a local clinic and thereafter transferred to a hospital for medical attention.

The couple was arrested on February 28 and appeared in court the next day on a charge of assault with intent to do grievous body harm.

However the charge was changed to attempted murder.

On Monday police said the Verulam Magistrate's Court had revoked the pair's bail therefore the mother had to hand herself over to police.

"The man handed himself over to police on Friday. The woman has yet to hand herself over.

The investigating officer is in communication with her lawyer‚" she said.