#HelpFindLee: Accused finally identified and family frustrated with court case
Accused to remain in custody
Another postponement in the case of the missing three-year-old Liyaqat ‘Lee’ Mentoor has left family and community members frustrated and emotional.
The accused, 29-year-old Onke Hartin Mashinini, appeared in the Roodepoort Magistrates’ Court on 3 May on charges of child neglect, kidnapping, defeating the ends of justice, and murder.
Lee was in Mashinini’s care on the day of his disappearance, making him the last one to have seen Lee on 16 March.
Read more here: #HelpFindLee: WATCH: Family’s heartbroken plea for Lee’s Safe return
The last two charges were added during his previous appearance, during which Mashinini abandoned his bail application.
Family members were hoping to be provided with much-needed answers, but they were disappointed when the State Prosecutor requested a postponement, as they were still waiting for the report on the DNA tests.
The postponement was granted, and the case postponed until 24 May, with Mashinini remaining in custody.
“As a community, as a family, we are not happy with the delay. We are frustrated and hurt. It has been seven weeks, and we still have no answers. Onke needs to start talking, as we have had enough. As a family, we are hurting. Kaylah is an emotional wreck and is crying for her son. And, even though we have already started to prepare for the worst, we need closure,” a very emotional Estelle Delport, the family representative, said.
In an attempt to find answers, the family went to the Roodepoort Police Station where they were greeted by the station commander, Brigadier Sam Manala. “He sat down with the family, and explained everything to them. He also ensured them that this case is a priority case, and is receiving all the necessary attention. After this meeting, the family left, satisfied with the feedback,” said Captain Sonja Prinsloo, spokesperson for the Roodepoort Police.
Also Read: #HelpFindLee WATCH: Search still on for missing three-year-old
Prinsloo also confirmed that the DNA results have already been processed. “We found blood in the bathtub of the house where Mashinini was babysitting Lee. We believed that it belonged to Lee, and DNA tests have confirmed that it was his,” she said.
For more information, read this week’s edition of the Record.
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