The Pretoria Court found a father (Mr X) from Soshanguve, guilty of the murder of his two-year-old son, and 2 counts of attempted murder, of his 8 and 11-year-old sons. He was also found guilty of rape, of his partner who is the mother of his children, and further 3 counts of contravention of the protection order. The father was in a relationship with the mother of the children from 2004 until 2018.
0n 08 January 2019, the mother applied for a protection order against the accused, however, he contravened the interim protection order, by assaulting her, breaking into her house, and raping her. It was put on record that the family of Mr X, pressured the mother to drop the charges of rape. On 24 August 2019, he fetched the two-year-old son from his mother and proceeded to fetch the two sons aged 8 and 11, at their paternal grandmother’s place, taking them to his place.
On their way, he fed them Vienna’s and Russians that were laced with poison, and when the 11-year-old refused to eat at the Vienna’s, he assaulted him and forced him to eat. Upon arrival at his place, the children fell ill, he then called their mother and told her that he was going to kill the children. The mother arrived, and found the lifeless body of the two-year-old on top of his bed, she called the police and took the two children to the hospital.
The accused was arrested the same day, at a railway station where he tried to kill himself, and has been in custody since. Judge Masopa, said he noted the discrepancy in Mr X’s testimony, however, found the testimony of the two children to be honest and credible. Therefore, the state succeeded in proving its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The matter was postponed to 7-11 November 2022, for sentencing proceedings.
www.capitallivesa.co.za
