Raped and murdered Soweto toddler was ‘previously abused’ – grandmother

The grandmother of a raped and murdered two-year-old Soweto girl has revealed that the minor was abused before.

The 35-year-old grandmother, who can’t be named in order to protect the identity of the minor, told the media at her Diepkloof, Soweto, home that last month the victim complained to her about being physically assaulted by her 30-year-old stepfather.

Meanwhile, the stepfather and the victim’s 17-year-old mother appeared separately in the Protea Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, facing charges of rape, murder and child abuse.

The teenager appeared in the Children’s Court alone on Wednesday while her lover appeared in a packed courtroom.

Bruise on her waist

The grandmother said last month, when bathing the minor, she saw a bruise on her waist.

“When I asked her what happened, she replied that her stepfather had assaulted her. I know that a child of that age can’t lie, and I confronted her mother who denied that the minor was assaulted and claimed that she was making a mistake,” said the grandmother.

She continued that her daughter, currently in custody, has another child, who is a year and three months old.

“My daughter is also pregnant with her third child. As a mother I was worried when she became pregnant for the first time aged 15 and was still attending primary school. At first, she denied that she was pregnant until her tummy became big.

“I was angry because I had advised her to start family planning as I have observed that she was sexually active. Then she became pregnant with her second child who is a boy, I was disappointed and angry. Last month, I noticed changes on her body and she confessed that she was pregnant again with her third child.

“I am disappointed because she dropped out of school at Grade 8 because of her pregnancies. She said she didn’t want to undergo family planning because it will change her body. What hurts is that the fathers of her children are adults aged above 20 years,” she said.

The grandmother said the couple’s arrest is giving her sleepless nights and people on the streets are blaming her for being an ignorant mother.

“I have mixed feelings for what they did. How can they do such a horrible [thing] to my granddaughter. I am going to attend her court cases wanting to know what really happened to my granddaughter.

“I am disappointed in my daughter’s boyfriend. I thought he was a responsible man who would take care of my child. However, he did the opposite. Should my daughter be convicted, I am willing to take care of her children,” the grandmother said.

Meanwhile, Gauteng police spokesperson Brigadier Mathapelo Peters said they were investigating if the deceased was previously abused by her stepfather.

The couple was expected back in court on 2 December.

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