Mbabane – Police in Big Bend have arrested and charged a 39-year-old man from Ncandweni in connection with the murder of a 14-year-old girl in a case that has shocked the community.
The suspect, who was employed by the victim’s family as a gardener, allegedly killed the teenager before attempting to stage the incident as a suicide.
According to information released by police, the incident allegedly occurred while the victim’s mother was away from home. It is alleged that the suspect allegedly tried to sexually assault the girl inside an outside toilet at the family homestead.
Police allege that the situation turned violent after the girl resisted his sexual advances and threatened to report the matter to her mother upon her return home. Investigators believe the suspect then suffocated the teenager to death.
Authorities further allege that the suspect later attempted to conceal the crime by creating the impression that the victim had taken her own life. He allegedly used a lihiya tied to the rafters of the toilet structure in an attempt to stage a hanging.
The victim’s mother reportedly became concerned after returning home from town and asking her other children about the deceased’s whereabouts. The children then began searching for their sibling and allegedly discovered her body inside the toilet before notifying police.
When officers arrived at the scene, the body had already been removed from where it was found and laid on the ground. Police said the suspect allegedly claimed he had been attempting to assist after discovering the girl.
The body was later taken to the mortuary for a post-mortem examination conducted under an enquiry file.
“The autopsy findings ruled out hanging as the cause of death and determined that the deceased died from smothering,” police said.
The findings reportedly prompted further investigations, which led to the arrest of the suspect.
Police further stated that confessions had since been obtained from the accused.
The suspect was expected to appear before the Big Bend Magistrates Court today on murder charges.
The incident has sent shockwaves through the Ncandweni community, with residents expressing disbelief over the brutal death of the teenager.
The case also comes amid ongoing concerns over violence against women and children in the country. Civil society organisations and child protection advocates have repeatedly called for stronger measures to safeguard children from abuse and violence, particularly within homes and communities where they are expected to feel safe.
Discussion about this post