Members of a Khayelitsha family say they have been relieved by the arrest of their cousin in connection with the attempted murder of her 2-year-old son.
Neliswa Julia Aaron was arrested yesterday after police searched for her for a week for allegedly stabbing her son Anele several times before fleeing their Makhaza home on February 5.
Police say the 27-year-old was arrested in De Doorns where she is believed to have been hiding.
“She is expected to make a court appearance in Khayelitsha on a charge of attempted murder. Crime against women and children is high on the priority list of the Western Cape police and we will not tolerate such acts of violence against children in their own homes,” said police spokesperson FC Van Wyk.
Aaron’s cousin, Nthabiseng Ramona-Mqumbisa, said the family was pleased with the progress Anele has made while recovering in hospital. Ramona-Mqumbisa said they had been concerned about the boy’s safety while his mother was still at large.
“The child received stitches. Doctors said he was stabbed four times but when I look at his neck, it looks like he was stabbed 11 times. Our concern was that Neliswa was nowhere to be found. We are pleased that she has been arrested so that she could be helped,” said Ramona-Mqumbisa.
According to the family, Aaron has suffered bouts of mental illness in the past and they suspect she may have been “not normal” when she allegedly attacked the child.
Aaron was with her brother-in law-when the incident occurred. He had returned from a night out when he noticed the child crying.
“My brother tried grabbing [Neliswa] but she managed to escape. She was never seen again until we received information from one of my neigbours in Site B that Neliswa had stayed at her house.
"She said that Neliswa arrived at her house asking if she could wash her bloodied clothes. She stayed there and disappeared after a day or two,” said Ramona-Mqumbisa.