Siteki – A 29-year-old man who had been arrested in connection with the kidnapping of a 10-year-old girl and two rape cases was shot dead on Friday after allegedly attempting to escape from police while leading investigators to his hideout in a forest near Siteki.
According to police, the suspect, who was from the Sitsatsaweni area, had been arrested earlier that morning after an intensive overnight search involving officers and community members.
Police said the suspect was taken back to the forest at about 5pm on Friday to point out the scene and recover exhibits allegedly used in the commission of the offences.
While investigators were processing the scene, the suspect allegedly fled despite being handcuffed.
Police said officers pursued him and repeatedly ordered him to stop before firing warning shots. When he allegedly failed to comply, officers opened fire, fatally wounding him.
The suspect had been charged with the kidnapping of a 10-year-old girl from Sibovini and was also linked to the rape of a 21-year-old woman reported on June 24, 2026.
According to police, the girl was abducted on Thursday at about 4.30pm while returning home from fetching water with her two younger siblings, aged four and five.
The suspect, who was allegedly armed with a knife and a bush knife, is said to have emerged from a nearby forest, grabbed the child and covered her face before taking her into the forest.
The two younger children managed to escape and ran home, where they alerted their mother.
The mother immediately raised the alarm and reported the matter to police, prompting officers and community members to launch a search that continued into the night.
The search resumed early on Friday morning and, at about 7am, the suspect was spotted emerging from the forest while carrying the child.
Police said he attempted to flee after noticing the search party but was overpowered and arrested. The girl was safely rescued.
Further investigations linked the suspect to the rape of a 21-year-old woman from the Sibovini area, who was allegedly attacked on June 24, 2026.
Police also disclosed that the suspect had been out on bail in connection with the alleged rape and murder of a nine-year-old child committed in 2020.
The police have since opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting, while investigations into the kidnapping and rape cases have also been completed following the suspect’s death.
Discussion about this post