#MiguelLouw: Accused now faces murder charge

Published Sep 12, 2018

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DURBAN - The man accused of kidnapping 9-year-old Miguel Louw will now be charged with murder, police said on Wednesday night.

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele confirmed that the body found in Phoenix last week was that of Miguel.

Miguel went missing on July 17 when he was last seen at a local KFC with a 43-year old man, who was known to the family.

The little boy’s body was found in a park in Phoenix last week, just metres away from the accused's home.

“It has been formally confirmed that the body of a child that was found at Longbury Drive, Phoenix last week is that of Miguel Louw who was reported missing in July,” said Mbele.

Mbele said the accused would now be charged with murder. He has been charged with theft and kidnapping charges.

He recently secured R2500 bail, but remains behind bars as he failed to pay the money.  

Meanwhile, the man's father, told TimesLive at the time the body was discovered in Phoenix last week, that he was living in fear. He revealed that the family had been harassed by angry visitor’s since his son's arrest.

“I lie awake at night because all I have been thinking about is this baby [Miguel]. I have my own grandson who is 9-years-old and if something like this happened to him I can’t imagine how I would feel. We have people coming here all week looking for my son. We live in fear,” he said.

He added that at the time said he was hurt by the incident and said for the sake of the Louw family - he hoped the body was Miguel’s so the family could get closure.

“I am disheartened and I am hurt... I’m so hurt. We have been reading about what happened down there and‚ to be honest with you‚ I feel like I am not the same person I was before this‚” the 77-year-old said to the news site.

“I hope that if this is Miguel’s body that his family will have some closure. As for my family‚ we are not doing well,” he said.

When the accused was arrested on July 20, he was found with Miguel’s birth certificate and with the identity document of Raylene Louw (Miguel’s mother).

Daily News

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