Mother and boyfriend charged after toddler killed and buried in a bucket
A 23-year-old mother and her boyfriend, 32, have been arrested in connection with the shocking murder of the woman’s three-year-old son in the Eastern Cape.
Police said the toddler was found buried in a bucket and died after allegedly being tortured by the stepfather.
The couple, who are both from Mbizana was arrested on Wednesday night.
Explaining the incident, police spokesperson Captain Welile Matyolo said the murder took place on September 1, 2024.
She said the mother told police that the child had gone missing in 2024, but allegedly lied about the circumstances.
“The female suspect reported to Mbizana police in 2024 that her boy went missing in a fuel filling station in Mbizana, but police investigations through CCTV cameras’ assistance proved otherwise.”
Investigations revealed the horrendous truth: the three-year-old boy was beaten to death with a stick by his stepfather while in Sulenkama, where his mother’s boyfriend is still employed.
“It is alleged that the child was born whilst both suspects were already in a relationship, but the boyfriend is not the father of the child,” said Matyolo.
“After the child’s death, both suspects put him in a 20 litre bucket, tightly closed it with a wire, and secretly buried the child in a small grave.”
The couple led police to a small grave, and when authorities dug it up, they were confronted with the gruesome sight of the three-year-old’s decomposed body still trapped inside the bucket.
Both suspects have been charged with murder, while the mother faces an additional charge of defeating the ends of justice.
They are due to appear before the Qumbu Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
“It is so heartbreaking and sad that a human life can be lost in such a gruesome manner, but let the law take its course”, said Major General Norman Modishana, OR Tambo District Commissioner.
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