Two women of Comet have been arrested and both charged with assault, after a nine-year-old boy suffered severe burns to his hand, across the buttocks and hips.
The boy was rushed to hospital for treatment.
According to one of the concerned residents, Granny Selepe, apparently the biological mother of the victim and a friend heated up bricks, then forced the boy to sit on them.
“They decided to severely burn the child with hot bricks after accusing him of stealing R300. Apparently the suspects eventually found their money; the child is already punished and he is now struggling to walk and sit on his buttocks.
“”This behaviour is totally unacceptable. We can’t accept this behaviour in our community. If found guilty of such crime, they should be punished with the ‘stiffest sentences’,” says Selepe.
Waving placards, members of the community sang at the entrance to the court, urging the authorities to deny the pair bail.
The court postponed the matter to this week for a formal bail application and the suspects were remanded in custody.
The boy had been removed from the mother’s care since her arrest.
