Mother (21) arrested for murder of 2-week-old baby boy
She was arrested after she led the police to the shallow grave where she buried his body
LIMPOPO – A 21-year-old woman from Ha-mutsha Tshirangadzi village was arrested on Wednesday morning in connection with the murder of her two-week-old baby boy. It is alleged she killed her baby before she buried his body in a shallow grave.
The infant was last seen with his mother on Monday, 3 March a day after she reportedly took him to a local clinic. On Tuesday she was seen without the child and local residents became concerned and then confronted her on Wednesday morning. During this confrontation the residents asked her about the whereabouts of the infant whereby the situation escalated and they reportedly threatened to hurt her. Police were summoned and the woman was rescued from the angry crowd, said Police Spokesperson, Motlafela Mojapleo.
During the initial investigations into the whereabouts of the infant the accused told the police the baby became sick and that he passed away on Monday evening, after she had taken him to a clinic and hospital. She first alleged that she had thrown the body into the local river however, after the Search and Rescue Unit was summoned and a search of the area conducted she then revealed that she had buried his body.
She led the police to the shallow grave and was immediately arrested, Mojapleo added.
The motive for this incident is not yet known and investigations continue. She will appear in the Vuwani Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 6 March on a charge of murder.
Read more: MEC calls for community to support their vulnerable after mother kills 2-week-old baby
Provincial Police Commissioner, Lt Genl Nneke Ledwaba has warned the community to desist from taking the law into their own hands and give the police the necessary time and space to conduct investigations unhindered.
