Bokgabo Poo (4) murder suspect appears in court
It was revealed in court that the suspect has a pending case of rape against him
A 30-year-old man appeared in the Benoni Magistrate’s Court on October 17 in connection with the murder of four-year-old Bokgabo Poo.
He faces charges of kidnapping, rape, murder, defeating the ends of justice, and violating a corpse.
Bokgabo went missing on October 10 while playing with a friend in Masoleng Park, Wattville.
It is reported that she and a friend were approached by the suspect who sent the friend to the shop.
It is alleged that when the five-year-old friend came back, Bokgabo and the man were not there. The friend continued playing in the park until later when Bokgabo’s grandmother enquired about her whereabouts.
On October 11, a mutilated body was found in a field in Wattville after residents noticed dogs packing around something on the ground.
The Benoni City Times was on the scene and spoke to provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo.
He explained that the police first received a call from residents about a human leg found in the yard of a house in Wattville.
The homeowner came across the leg, which was buried while sweeping her yard.
“While searching the yard, officers were then alerted by residents to the mutilated body of a child in a nearby field,” said Masondo.
Police believe that the leg could be linked to the body found in the field, but this is yet to be confirmed.
The parents of Bokgabo viewed the mutilated body of a child but they couldn’t determine whether it was their little girl. DNA samples were taken from both parents.
On October 16, the police confirmed that the family of Bokgabo identified the mutilated body as their missing daughter.
CCTV footage of Bokgabo, walking in the street with a man, made rounds on social media. Police launched a manhunt for the man in the CCTV footage and he was spotted by a member of the community in Boksburg North who swiftly alerted the police.
Calling for justice to prevail, residents of Wattville and surrounding areas attended court during the suspect’s first appearance.
The court heard that the suspect has a pending case of rape against him. The matter was postponed to October 24 for a formal bail application.
Family
The distraught child’s father, Irvin Ndlovu, told the City Times that funeral arrangements haven’t been planned as some body parts are still missing.
Relating to the day his child went missing, Ndlovu said Bokgabo’s mother and grandmother phoned him at around 18:00 on October 10 to tell him that the child was nowhere to be found.
“I went straight to their home and the community helped us to search for her. The following day, the police called us to view the body of a child found in a field. I was overwhelmed with shock and sadness. I knew I had to be brave and see if it was her so that I can have closure. “The body was in a bad state and quite unrecognisable, but I managed to see that it was the body of a girl.”
Also Read: Bokgabo Poo (4) found dead
Also Read: Man arrested in connection with disappearance of Bokgabo Poo
