Cape Town - Until the moment her daughter’s tiny body was discovered at a dump, Beatrice Adams was hopeful that 12-year-old Michaela, who had gone missing on Tuesday, would be found alive.
The body of Michaela Williams was found about 2km from her home in New Horizon, Pelican Park, on Thursday morning.
A 48-year-old man who was allegedly last seen with her is behind bars after he pointed out where the child’s body had been dumped.
“I’m heartbroken and don’t have the strength to start saying how I feel and what is going through my mind. It is really sad what happened to my daughter,” Williams said on Thursday.
“The fact that so many people came forward and helped searching for my daughter was a good sign and showed that they really cared about her. My daughter’s death has united a community who has vowed that they will not allow another innocent child to die such a brutal death in the area,” the mother said.
Michaela was last seen at her Crane Street home walking with the
suspect, reportedly a convicted rapist out on parole.
This is the fourth child murdered in the past four weeks in the City. Just before Christmas, 5-year-old Valentino Grootetjie was killed in Lavender Hill.
On New Year’s Eve, five-year-old Cecilia Hartzenberg was shot twice in head by alleged gangsters in Dura Flats, Atlantis, and died the following day. The burnt body of 16-year-old Lavender Hill teen who went missing on New Year’s Day, was found last Sunday.
Police spokesperson Novela Potelwa confirmed that alleged Michaela’s killer led the police to where the body was.
“The suspect has been charged with murder.
“A post mortem will be conducted to determine how she died and whether any more charges would be added,” Potelwa said.
Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Yolisa Matakata called for a harsh sentence against the perpetrator.
The suspect will appear on Monday in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court.