Johannesburg – Damning allegations have emerged that the parents of a previously-missing 13-year-old girl only opened a missing person’s case late last week – three weeks after their daughter’s disappearance.
This was confirmed on Monday by police spokesperson Captain Kay Makhubele, who told The Star that the teenager’s parents only opened the case when police were raiding a dilapidated building while searching for the girl in the Joburg CBD on Thursday.
On Friday, The Star reported that the child’s father, Kabelo Matsatsi, had said he had approached Johannesburg Central police station last Tuesday to seek help locating his daughter after receiving information that she was being held at a building on the corner of Jeppe and Nugget streets.
However, Makhubele said the parents hadn’t opened a case with police. Instead, a case had been opened with the Social Development Department as the girl had a history of running away from home.
“We have found out that, before Thursday, there was no case opened. The parents indicated the child left the house three weeks ago, and when she left the house – according to the information we have – the child was already referred to Social Development to assist in terms of taking her to a rehabilitation centre,” Makhubele explained.
“We understand that the child started leaving her home in October. She was coming home and going back to the street, that’s why she was referred to Social Development. When the department was preparing to assist in terms of where to place the child for rehabilitation, that is when she disappeared."
“In those three weeks, the parents never reported the matter to the police or opened a case about her disappearance.”
Makhubele said investigations would still continue to ascertain whether police at Johannesburg Central treated the girl’s father and her social worker unfairly on Thursday when they asked for the CBD building to be raided.
Makhubele added that the girl was found by one of her cousins at Park Station over the weekend “and taken to the district surgeon for a check-up. She was then placed at a place of safety – she’s not at home”.