An 18-year-old father appeared in court Thursday charged with murdering his five-month-old son after the infant’s mother fled their home to report domestic violence, South African police said.
The suspect was arrested at around Tuesday following an intensive investigation by local detectives at Jimmy Jones Village near Malamulele in Limpopo province.
The child’s 19-year-old mother arrived at the Malamulele police station Tuesday morning to report domestic violence after being allegedly assaulted by her boyfriend, who is also the father of the deceased infant.
While reporting the incident, she informed police that the suspect had also physically assaulted their baby several times.
The woman fled the residence, leaving the infant with the suspect.
Police accompanied her to the house where they made a gruesome discovery of the lifeless body of the baby lying on the floor.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the baby had visible injuries on the head and face, indicating that he had been brutally assaulted before succumbing to his injuries.
Emergency medical services certified the child dead at the scene.
“It is deeply distressing and unacceptable that an innocent life has been lost in such a cruel manner,” Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, the provincial commissioner of police in Limpopo, said in a statement.
“While lodging the complaint, she told officers that the suspect had also assaulted their baby multiple times,” police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba told reporters.
The suspect fled before police arrived but was tracked down within hours.
Hadebe described the incident as a heartbreaking act of violence that no child should ever endure.
She commended detectives for their swift response.
The suspect, identified as Vongani Hlungwani, appeared before Malamulele Magistrate’s Court on murder charges.
The case highlights South Africa’s ongoing struggle with domestic violence and child abuse.
Police have not released information about bail proceedings or the suspect’s plea.
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