An 18-year-old South African boy has allegedly poisoned his three-year-old brother to death in an attempt to cause pain to their parents.
The toddler was laid to rest on Friday, February 7, 2025.
According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana, the incident took place on January 31, 2025, in Drieziek Extension 3, Orange Farm, Johannesburg.
“The child’s mother was at home with the accused and her other two sons, aged 16 and 22, when she noticed that her youngest son was missing. Assuming he was playing at a neighbor’s house, she did not immediately raise the alarm. However, by 1 p.m., when the child had still not returned, she began searching for him,” Mahanjana explained.
Around 4 p.m., the accused’s 16-year-old younger brother went to a nearby veld near the N1 highway to feed his goats when he saw the suspect placing the toddler’s body inside a dustbin.
“After confronting him, the brother took the dustbin containing the child’s body back home and informed their mother. Emergency services were called, and the child was declared dead at the scene,” Mahanjana added.
The following day, the accused reportedly turned himself in to the police and allegedly confessed to poisoning his brother with rat poison.
The suspect appeared in the Vereeniging Magistrates’ Court last Tuesday in connection with the murder. The case has been postponed to February 13, 2025, for a formal bail application.
In an interview with Newzroom Africa on Monday, February 10, the father revealed that when he confronted his son about the incident, the teenager admitted to killing his brother as a way to inflict pain on their parents.
