In a heart-wrenching turn of events, the young man accused of the murder and rape of 11-year-old Monneashia Prins made a chilling confession in court.
The accused, an 18-year-old resident of the same neighbourhood as the victim, was arrested shortly after the Prins family identified Monneashia’s body at the morgue.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Missing 11-Year-Old Girl Found Dead In Cape Town
The tragic incident unfolded when Monneashia, a girl from the Ithemba Farms informal settlement, went missing on Friday, February 9.
She was last seen walking with the accused, who returned later that night wearing muddy clothes. The following day, Monneashia’s lifeless body was discovered in a canal near her Eerste River home, covered in mud.
During his first appearance in the Blue Downs Magistrate’s Court, the accused remained calm and showed no signs of emotion, even when confessing to the crime. When offered legal representation options by the magistrate, he declined, stating, “No thank you Ma’am, I will speak for myself.
“Ma’am, I did something wrong, I need to learn my lesson.” The court advised him to apply for Legal Aid due to the seriousness of the charges, but he insisted, “Ma’am, I’m guilty. I just want the sentence.”
Monneashia’s father, Monrico Humphries, is still grappling with the shock and seeking answers. He was informed that his daughter was last seen walking with the accused, and he expressed his disbelief, saying, “Why did he do it? I didn’t expect that from him.
“I’m a father, I should look after my child and anybody else’s. I feed hungry children there, I take them home, so why did he do that? He doesn’t look like a person who would do that.”
While the accused’s confession has left Monrico Humphries stunned, he continues to mourn the loss of his daughter. He reminisces about the little things, saying, “I miss everything about her, from when she woke up to when she went to bed.
“I just grab anything that is hers, even her books, and hold them. I just miss seeing her putting on her make-up; she wanted to be a model. She would even dress her younger sisters.”
Meanwhile, the accused’s mother, who discovered his muddy clothes, immediately turned them over to the police. She had the opportunity to speak to her son at the police station, where he confessed that he was under the influence of alcohol and marijuana on the day of the incident.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: 19-Year-Old Held In Connection With Rape And Murder Of Cape Town Girl
Despite acknowledging her son’s actions, she emphasised that she did not raise him to behave in such a manner. She stated, “He has been through a lot, and I am not making excuses for him. He did what he did, and he must face the consequences.”
