The Free State community of Thaba Nchu has been rocked by a tragic event in which a five-year-old boy was fatally stabbed, allegedly by his mother’s boyfriend.
A 64-year-old man was detained by Selosesha police on Tuesday in relation to the boy’s senseless murder because he was purportedly the last person seen with him before he was discovered with a stab wound on his neck.
Speaking to Sunday World, Free State police spokesperson Mahlomola Kareli confirmed that the suspect was seeing the boy’s mother, but she was not home when the murder occurred.
Suspect attacked by neighbours
According to Kareli, when the boy’s lifeless body was found in the yard of a home where the family lived, the neighbours became incensed and attacked the suspect before he was taken into custody.
Later, during a police search, a bloody knife — thought to be the murder weapon — was found in the suspect’s house.
“The man, who sustained multiple wounds and bruises, was arrested and transported to hospital for medical treatment,” Kareli said.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the man had been seen with the child shortly before the boy screamed and collapsed with a stab wound to his neck.
“The child reportedly cried out for his aunt, who was inside the house, before falling to the ground.”
The investigators are trying to piece together what happened before the stabbing, Kareli said.
Declared dead at the scene
The boy was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical personnel, leaving the community and family in shock and grief.
“The circumstances surrounding the incident are the focus of ongoing police investigations,” said Kareli.
“The suspect remains under police guard at the hospital and is expected to appear in the Selosesha magistrate’s court soon.”
In a different case, Rustenburg police were tipped off about a dead boy who had been discovered inside a home with two upper arm stab wounds and evidence of assault.
The suspect was taken into custody after claiming to have beaten the boy with a belt for leaving his younger sibling alone.
