3-Year-Old Brutally Killed, Sealed In Bucket And Buried: Mother And Boyfriend Arrested

Police have arrested a 23-year-old woman and her 32-year-old boyfriend following the alleged killing of her 3-year-old son in the Eastern Cape. The pair were detained by Sulenkama police shortly before 8pm on Wednesday.

According to police, the crime occurred on 1 September 2024 in the Gqwesa area of Sulenkama. The case came to light after the mother reported to Mbizana police that her child had vanished at a local petrol station. However, investigators reviewing CCTV footage found evidence that contradicted her account.

Police spokesperson Captain Welile Matyolo said: “Further investigations revealed that the baby was assaulted to death, allegedly by his stepfather, using a stick whilst they were all in Sulenkama where his mother’s boyfriend is still working. It is alleged that the child was born whilst both suspects were already in a relationship, but the boyfriend is not the father of the child.”

3-Year-Old Allegedly Beaten to Death and Hidden in Bucket

Investigators allege that after the child died, the couple attempted to conceal the crime in a shocking manner. “After the child’s death, both suspects allegedly put him in a 20-litre bucket, tightly closed it with a wire and secretly buried the child in a small grave,” Matyolo said.

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Despite the burial, the mother later approached the Mbizana police station to report the child as missing, prompting a deeper investigation that ultimately led police back to Sulenkama.

Shallow Grave Leads to Arrests and Court Appearance

Police say the suspects later pointed out the burial site. “The couple showed police the baby boy’s grave in Sulenkama, and it was dug, and the decomposed body of the boy was found still inside the bucket,” Matyolo confirmed.

Both suspects now face murder charges, while the mother has an additional charge of defeating the ends of justice. They are expected to appear in the Qumbu Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 23 January.

OR Tambo Police District Commissioner Major General Norman Modishana condemned the killing, saying: “It is so heartbreaking and sad that a human life can be lost in such a gruesome manner but let the law take its course.” He also praised officers for their efforts in uncovering the truth.

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