The parents of a 10-year-old girl have been charged with attempted murder after allegedly forcing her to practise too much sport.

Prosecutors claim the girl was made to swim continuously in a dam near Bloemfontein in South Africa while her mother and father watched from the sidelines.

When the girl became tired, she was reportedly assaulted and forced to carry on.

The 38-year-old mother of the primary school pupil and her 31-year-old husband appeared in Bloemfontein Regional Court on Monday charged with attempted murder and child neglect.

The woman, who faces a further charge of assault, was warned she could face up to ten years in prison, it was reported by SowetanLive which cited Afrikaans-language daily newspaper Volksblad.

Lawyers representing the parents have asked prosecutors for more details on the charges, which relate to an incident in October last year in the Krugerdrift Dam.

The girl is now in foster care.