Media Statement from Gauteng Media Centre

Corporate Communication

South African Police Service

 

16 October 2013

 

The South African Police Service has assembled a
team of detectives which includes the Psychology, Forensic Unit and other
experts to investigate the murder and rape of two young girls in Diepsloot over
the weekend. The two girls aged 2 and 3, went missing from their house in
Diepsloot on Saturday afternoon and the incident was reported to the Police on
Saturday evening. A case of missing persons was reported.

 

Police officers, members of the CPF and volunteers  as well as members from the community were mobilised
and started a search party till the early hours of Sunday morning. The search resumed
at first light on Sunday morning but the girls could not be found. Information
was received that the girls were seen in the company of a male person and the
charge was changed from missing person to that of Kidnapping.   

 

Yesterday morning (Tuesday at about 5am)
members of the police were called to the scene where the bodies of the two
toddlers were found in a communal toilet. They were killed and sexually
violated.  Several leads were received from the community and were
followed up and three suspects were taken in for questioning. A fourth suspects
was later arrested. The police are searching for a known suspect, believed to
be the perpetrator of the crime. All evidence collected at the scene was sent
to forensics for analysis. Police are awaiting the post mortem results to
determine the cause of death.

 

We want to
express our condolences to the family and assure them that this is a priority
investigation that will receive all the attention it requires. Police have
thanked the community for their assistance thus far. We are calling on them to
be calm and assist with the apprehension of the last suspect and not taking the
law into their own hands. The disturbing scenes
of looting which we witnessed yesterday cannot be condoned and we condemn them.
People that transgress the law will be arrested and prosecuted. 

The Police are
also calling on parents especially mothers to fulfill their parental
responsibility in caring and looking after their children. If in the
investigation it is found that there was a lack of parental supervision, we
will charge the parents for Child Neglect.

 

The team of
investigators is looking at the possible link between the reported kidnapping
and murder case to that of a 5-year-old girl who was found dead in September in
the same area. It is suspected that she was sexually violated and strangled. A
suspect, who was taken in for questioning relating to the murder and rape
incident, was later released as he could not be linked to the crime.

 

In another incident in Katlehong this
morning two girls aged 1 and 3 were found dead in
an open field near Zonkizizwe on M7 national road and their 26 year old mother
has been taken to the hospital in a critical condition. The victims were found
by a member of the community.

 

The mother of the girls (all Mozambican
nationals) alleged that they were from Witbank and last night dropped by her
husband in an open field. She did not know where they were and that they slept
in an old abandon small house with half built walls. She further alleged that
her husband left them with a cold drink which they drank. When she woke up this
morning two of her children were already dead. It is suspected that they died
of poisoning. The exact cause of death will be known once the post-mortem has
been conducted. At this stage police have opened a murder case.

 

The woman was taken to the local hospital
in a critical but stable condition. Once her condition has improved, police
will establish the details of the husband who is also a Mozambican. Preliminary
investigation has proved that there might be discrepancies in the mother’s
version of the events which has inaccuracies. Police are not ruling out her
possibility in the crime.

 

Issued by the Acting Provincial Commissioner of
Gauteng,

 

Lieutenant General Lesetja Mothiba

 

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Media Enquiries:

 

Brigadier
Neville Malila

Provincial
Head: Corporate Communication, Gauteng

Mobile 082
411 4030