Five-year-old murdered with spade, possibly raped by relative

Police are investigating case in which a five-year-old was murdered with a spade and showed signs of being raped.

The girl’s body was discovered in her uncle’s house in Pendu Street in Kwanonqubela in Alexandria, in the Eastern Cape.

The police were alerted at 5:40 on Saturday morning by the child’s uncle, who is now the main suspect, about a person being assaulted in the house.

“On arrival, detectives found the brutally battered body of a five-year-old girl lying on the lounge floor. The suspect was very drunk and incoherent to give an account of what had happened,” said Colonel Priscilla Naidu in a statement.

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Post-mortem to reveal if the child was raped

The victim, Siphenathi Xhali, was found with multiple wounds on her body.

“It is suspected that she was murdered with a spade which was later found in a neighbour’s yard,” said Naidu.

“It is also suspected that the child may have been raped. The post-mortem will be conducted to verify such suspicion.

“Pending the results of the post-mortem report, an additional charge of rape may be added,” said Naidu.

It’s alleged Xhali was taken during the early hours of Saturday morning from the neighbour’s house.

Her mother had dropped her off with her father on Friday, who lives in the same area. The father then left Xhali with his neighbour’s family.

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Naidu said the child played with the neighbour’s children and slept over, before a male relative, her mother’s cousin, showed up at the house.

Taken by two men in search of a tavern

One of the men living in the house woke Xhali up and informed her that her “uncle” had arrived.

“Both the men then left the house with the child in search of a tavern,” Naidu said.

When the men discovered that all the taverns were closed, the neighbour left Xhali with the relative and returned to his home.

The 43-year-old has since been detained on a charge of murder, and is expected to appear in the Kenton-On-Sea Magistrate’s Court early next week.

GBV ‘extremely concerning’

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Saps Eastern Cape Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nomthetheleli Mene, has condemned the murder, saying the brutality of gender-based-violence is extremely concerning.

‘It is alarming that communities fail to protect our children. Many are killed by the people they know, love and trust.

“These people are cruel and heartless and must be dealt with decisively more especially when it comes to women and children.”

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