The case against the parents accused of murdering their four-year-old girl from Eldorado Park, Johannesburg, has been postponed to 11 December for further investigations.
The couple appeared briefly in the Protea Magistrate’s Court on Thursday morning.
The hearing lasted less than five minutes, adding to the frustration of community members and family members who attended.
Charges against the parents
The little girl’s father faces several charges. These include murder, rape, compelled rape, assault and child abuse. The mother is facing charges of murder and failure to report sexual offences committed against her child.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane told the SABC that several test results are still being processed before the matter can proceed.
“We are still awaiting the results for a few of the tests that were conducted, especially on the deceased, and also for the decision of the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions on the forum of whether the trial will be heard,” Mjonondwane said.
She added that as soon as investigations are concluded, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions will announce where the trial will be held.
“We are hopeful that the investigations will be finalised as speedily as possible, because the intention is to subject both accused to a speedy process, so that justice can be served.”
In the previous court proceedings, the parents chose to abandon bail.
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Consolidation of dockets
Following the postponement of the case on 18 August, Mjonondwane explained that the parents had initially appeared separately as two separate dockets were being investigated. However, the dockets have since been combined.
Three dockets are now part of the investigation. The first was opened in March this year by the mother against her then boyfriend for assault. This case specifically related to the couple’s youngest child, a two-year-old boy.
Mjonondwane said they have since received that docket. “Upon perusing the contents of that docket that’s when we realised that we could actually take a step in holding both parents liable.”
Without sharing much information, Mjonondwane indicated that the earlier docket was related to an assault case. “It was a case of assault opened by the mother after she was informed by the nanny as to what transpired when she was away for work.”
The mother is now also facing additional charges of murder and child abuse. The inclusion of the March docket makes it harder for her to state her case, as she faces charges despite having opened a case against her partner.
It is understood she also opened a case against her boyfriend for assaulting her, but later withdrew those charges.
The identification of the parents has been prohibited by the court.
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