‘They opened a missing persons file immediately’ – police hold internal probe in Laticia Jansen case

Gauteng police are internally investigating allegations that the grandmother of slain 15-year-old girl, Laticia Princes Jansen, was turned away when she wanted to report the teen missing.

Jansen’s body was found in nearby bushes close to a river in Elsburg, Germiston, last Friday morning.

It was reported that she had been stabbed, raped and burnt, but police spokesperson Brigadier Mathapelo Peters said the nature and extent of her injuries would be confirmed through a post-mortem examination.

In a statement on Sunday and at a briefing on Monday, the provincial education department said it had been informed that Jansen’s grandmother reported her missing on Thursday, but she was told to bring a photograph of the child before any steps could be taken.

Peters said an internal investigation was under way to establish the processes police followed when the case was reported.

She added that they were aware of reports that the grandmother had been turned away, but when they spoke to her during a visit at her home, she informed them that she never made such a claim.

“However, we are still investigating to see whether they (police) did what they were supposed to do in terms of processes because they opened a missing persons file immediately when the grandmother was there and she confirmed it. We are running our own internal investigation in terms of processes.”

School missed report deadline

The school also came under fire for an apparent lack of empathy and for not acting when the girl’s grandmother reported that she was missing.

News24 previously reported that it was alleged that school transport left some pupils behind on Wednesday, 22 January, and that they had to walk to school, taking a shortcut through bushes.

The school told Jansen’s grandmother that Laticia was absent from school that Wednesday.

Gauteng MEC Panyaza Lesufi visited the school on Monday where he demanded answers.

The school missed a deadline to provide him with a report on what was done when the school learnt that Jansen was missing.

The MEC vowed to act against the school if it failed to give him a report by 2pm on Monday.

Department of education spokesperson Steve Mabona said a directive on the MEC’s actions would be communicated later on Tuesday.

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