Pretoria - Provincial commissioner of police in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Manamela has expressed shock after a 16-year-old girl was arrested by police in Calcutta in connection with the murder of her two-week-old baby.
According to the police, the baby's grandmother was asleep when she woke up and discovered that the baby was missing in the early hours of June 2 2022. She then searched for her but couldn't find her, police spokesperson in Mpumalanga, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala explained.
“She also asked the baby’s mother about the child’s whereabouts but she apparently refused to speak,” he said.
The grandmother then reported the matter to the police.
“Upon arrival (the police) questioned the baby’s mother and she apparently admitted that she killed the baby and stuffed her body in a school bag. She also led the police to the room where she hid the said bag and was then arrested,” said Mohlala.
“The suspect is expected to appear in court soon,” he said.
Meanwhile, the police chief in Mpumalanga, Manamela has described the incident as “tragic and unfortunate”.
She also advised young mothers to seek assistance from relevant organisations to lessen the burden in order prevent “such tragic incidents”.
Last month, police in Mpumalanga “strongly condemned” an incident in which a day-old infant was abandoned next to Carolina Hospital. The police also appealed to community members to assist them in finding the mother of the child.
“The one-day-old baby boy was found wrapped in a blanket and abandoned next to the fence of the hospital by a passer-by. It is said that on Friday, 20 May, at about 7.30pm, police attended a complaint at Carolina Hospital, whereby an infant was left unattended,” Mohlala said at the time.
“It is alleged that the security officer at Carolina Hospital posted to work at the gate was called by a passer-by, alerting the guard about a baby boy who was left without care behind an electricity transformer next to the fence of the hospital,” Mohlala said.
Police said the infant was believed to be one day old.
The newborn was found clothed in a vest and trousers and was wrapped with a blanket. The child was subsequently taken inside the hospital for medical care by the hospital staff.
IOL