A woman who protected the man who raped her two-month-old daughter has been sentenced to life in prison.

"It is indeed a unique situation that a mother protects a perpetrator of the most heinous of crimes against her own child‚ even if the mother faces being separated from her family for 25 years as a consequence‚" Johannesburg High Court Acting Judge Carla van Veenendal said‚ before she imposed her potential precedent-setting sentence.

The 29-year-old‚ who cannot be named to protect the identity of her child‚ sobbed loudly as the acting judge found that there were no substantial and compelling circumstances to justify a sentence of anything less than life.

"This case is unique in that only the person doing the aiding‚ abetting (of the baby's rape) is being prosecuted‚ while the real perpetrator is not before court with her‚" the acting judge said.

The November 2016 rape of the baby was so severe that it was almost fatal. The little one had to undergo reconstructive surgery to repair the damage to her tiny body.