A 29-year-old man has been denied bail in South Africa after being charged with the murder of his three-year-old stepson in what prosecutors describe as a fatal response to bed-wetting.
Jeremy Bosman appeared before De Aar District Court where he faces murder charges over the death of Charvandre Kieran Everson. He is also charged with assault causing grievous bodily harm against the child’s mother, Charmelle Thys, 29.
The court heard that on 19 October, Bosman allegedly attacked the child after he wet his bed, repeatedly striking him on the head with his hands and a broom. Prosecutors say he then slammed the child’s head against a wall.
According to witness statements, the injuries were so severe that the three-year-old could neither eat nor open his mouth. After a second alleged assault following another bed-wetting incident, the child lost control of his bodily functions and became partially paralysed.
The prosecution told the court that before the child’s mother took him to De Aar New Hospital, Bosman warned her not to reveal details of the incidents. Medical staff pronounced the child dead on arrival and discovered multiple bruises on his body, prompting them to alert police.
Mojalefa Senokoatsane, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority in the Northern Cape, said bail was opposed due to “the severe nature of the charges and the risk posed by the accused to vulnerable individuals, particularly children.
Bosman will remain in custody until his next court appearance on 5 December.
The case has highlighted issues of child abuse in South Africa, where authorities continue to grapple with violence against minors.
