Update on the Diepsloot Investigation

The South African Police Service has assembled a team of detectives which includes the Psychology, Forensic Unit and other experts to investigate the murder and rape of two young girls in Diepsloot over the weekend. The two girls aged 2 and 3, went missing from their house in Diepsloot on Saturday afternoon and the incident was reported to the Police on Saturday evening. A case of missing persons was reported.

Police officers, members of the CPF and volunteers  as well as members from the community were mobilised and started a search party till the early hours of Sunday morning. The search resumed at first light on Sunday morning but the girls could not be found. Information was received that the girls were seen in the company of a male person and the charge was changed from missing person to that of Kidnapping.   

Yesterday morning (Tuesday at about 5am) members of the police were called to the scene where the bodies of the two toddlers were found in a communal toilet. They were killed and sexually violated.  Several leads were received from the community and were followed up and three suspects were taken in for questioning. A fourth suspects was later arrested. The police are searching for a known suspect, believed to be the perpetrator of the crime. All evidence collected at the scene was sent to forensics for analysis. Police are awaiting the post mortem results to determine the cause of death.

We want to express our condolences to the family and assure them that this is a priority investigation that will receive all the attention it requires. Police have thanked the community for their assistance thus far. We are calling on them to be calm and assist with the apprehension of the last suspect and not taking the law into their own hands. The disturbing scenes of looting which we witnessed yesterday cannot be condoned and we condemn them. People that transgress the law will be arrested and prosecuted. 

The Police are also calling on parents especially mothers to fulfill their parental responsibility in caring and looking after their children. If in the investigation it is found that there was a lack of parental supervision, we will charge the parents for Child Neglect.

The team of investigators is looking at the possible link between the reported kidnapping and murder case to that of a 5-year-old girl who was found dead in September in the same area. It is suspected that she was sexually violated and strangled. A suspect, who was taken in for questioning relating to the murder and rape incident, was later released as he could not be linked to the crime.

In another incident in Katlehong this morning two girls aged 1 and 3 were found dead in an open field near Zonkizizwe on M7 national road and their 26 year old mother has been taken to the hospital in a critical condition. The victims were found by a member of the community.

The mother of the girls (all Mozambican nationals) alleged that they were from Witbank and last night dropped by her husband in an open field. She did not know where they were and that they slept in an old abandon small house with half built walls. She further alleged that her husband left them with a cold drink which they drank. When she woke up this morning two of her children were already dead. It is suspected that they died of poisoning. The exact cause of death will be known once the post-mortem has been conducted. At this stage police have opened a murder case.

The woman was taken to the local hospital in a critical but stable condition. Once her condition has improved, police will establish the details of the husband who is also a Mozambican. Preliminary investigation has proved that there might be discrepancies in the mother's version of the events which has inaccuracies. Police are not ruling out her possibility in the crime.

Statement issued by Acting Provincial Commissioner of Gauteng, Lieutenant General Lesetja Mothiba, October 16 2013

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