Johannesburg – The three-year-old boy who died after suffering burns to 60% of his body last year was also abused numerous times before the fatal incident, The Star has learnt.
Multiple sources close to the case confirmed this on Tuesday, as the child’s mother and her boyfriend appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court charged with murder and child neglect.
In June 2016, Kayden Smith (not his real name) died after he was placed in a boiling hot bath. Hours later, the mother and boyfriend called an ambulance when they found he was unresponsive, the sources claimed.
It is understood that the boy was put into the bath by the boyfriend while his mother was not home, and was discovered burnt in his bed only when she returned.
“The little boy must have been unconscious by the time the mother arrived at home. The accused said the toddler asked to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. This doesn’t make sense though.
“The boy was put to sleep after suffering such bad burns and only the next day when he was unresponsive was the ambulance called. The boy must have been dead by the time the ambulance arrived,” said one source.
The same source said the boy also seemed to have a fractured rib, and that he had sustained injuries on previous occasions.
“The last time his elbow was broken. Multiple bruises and scratches on the boy’s body. This shows there was (previously) abuse and neglect.”
The mother and boyfriend were arrested last week and charged with murder and child neglect, eight months after the incident occurred.
The two accused were meant to apply for bail on Tuesday. However, the application was postponed to Monday after both accused changed lawyers at the last minute.
While the couple were originally represented by Legal Aid SA, private attorney Thabang Thulo took over and requested a postponement for time to prepare for the bail application.
Before proceedings, the toddler’s mother wept in the arms of what is believed to be a family member.
When the accused appeared before the court on Tuesday, the boyfriend simply stared at the crying mother.
During proceedings, Thulo also asked magistrate Paul du Plessis to prohibit the media from covering the case.
Du Plessis said he was unable to understand what the reasoning for such a request could be, and insisted that Thulo submit a formal application.
“Send through an application. Make sure it is on good grounding. Because the law permits for the media to cover cases,” Du Plessis said.
The couple will remain in custody until Monday, when the formal bail application is expected to take place.
@heidigiokos