South African mother,19 years, has been arrested after skeletal remains believed to be her 2-year-old daughter was found in her garden.
The skeletal remains were discovered by the suspect’s 13-year-old nephew. He was planting potatoes in the garden on February 21. According to Brigadier Leonard Hlathi, the provincial police commissioner, the boy found what seemingly looked like a human skull while digging. He immediately called his uncle who in turn called the police.
The missing 2-year-old girl
The suspect’s two-year-old daughter had been missing since December last year.
Upon their arrival, the police confirmed that it indeed was a human skull. They called upon the forensic team to the scene. After laboratory tests, the other remains were found to be human. Buried in a shallow grave in the garden.
Preliminary investigations were conducted. Finally, it was conclusive that the remains could be of the missing girl.
The South African mother interrogated by police.
The suspect was traced and was brought in to the Mpumalanga police station for questioning. She was asked about the whereabouts of her daughter. She informed the police that her daughter had gone to attend a ceremonial family ritual in Lesotho.
However, the 19-year-old mother later admitted to the police that she murdered her daughter and buried her in the backyard garden. She confessed to having strangled her daughter with a towel.
Soon after, she was arrested and summoned to appear in court on Monday. In court, the suspect didn’t plead and so she was held in custody. This was to allow more investigations to be conducted.
She is expected to reappear in court within a week.
Similar cases
Consequently, there have been similar cases like this. The provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Mondi Zuma has also condemned the murder of children.
“Young mothers who feel overwhelmed by such responsibilities or are going through any challenges are encouraged to seek support at relevant institutions so as to avoid such happenings. This is the third dreadful case in a short space of time where children have been killed by their own parents,” said Zuma.
In September last year, a 25-year-old woman was sentenced to four life terms for murdering her four children who were 8,7,4 and 11 months.
South Africa has one of the world’s highest reported homicide cases involving children. Parents are killing their children. This is a serious case of social and public health problems. Vulnerable mothers should be helped and serious health intervention should be accorded to them.
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