Malmesbury - Two suspects are to appear in the Malmesbury Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday morning charged with the murder of a 5-year-old girl from Riebeek West.
The killing of Kaithlyn Wilson is another in a number of child killings in the Western Cape this year.
Kaithlyn’s body was found in bushes a few kilometres from her home in Bloedrivier, Riebeek West. She went missing on Sunday afternoon and her body was found hours later.
Her distraught grandmother, Sophia Wilson, 45, said she last saw the child going to buy chips.
“Kaithlyn asked me for R2 to buy chips at the local shop; as time went by her mother Yvonne asked me where she was, and I told her she went to play. I started wondering why she had not returned home and went out looking where she always plays around.”
Wilson said, as she couldn’t find her, she panicked and community members helped in the search.
“Around 4pm the search got too much for me and we were still looking around the streets and parks but couldn’t find her so we went to the police station to report her missing.
“Fortunately the police had already sent a van to my house so we went back and the search continued.”
Wilson said they bumped into the child’s mother Yvonne’s ex-boyfriend with his friend dragging a black bin.
“When asked if he hadn’t seen Kaitlyn he was defensive. Out of the blue he said ‘do you think I killed Kaithlyn?’ which was confusing. He called his mother and told her I said he killed Kaithlyn. After a search a detective came by and told us they had found her body covered in white sheets.
“Kaithlyn’s head was swollen and when I asked how she died, the police said her eyes and nose were closed with black tape and theystuffed something in her mouth to suffocate her,” a sobbing Wilson said.
An emotional Johnie Cloete, 37, Kaithlyn’s father, said he is prepared to go to jail for his “Pikkewyntjie” as he called her.
Police spokesperson Noloyiso Rwexana, said two suspects aged 19 and 30 were arrested following co-operation from the local community. Director of the Trauma Centre, Valdi van Reeenen, said (the death) emphasised the need for a commission of enquiry into child murders, a call her organisation has made on numerous occasions.
“I am so angry. This is an innocent child. We need to know why people are killing our children,” she said.