A five-year-old girl was yesterday found dead with her throat slit and stab wounds to her body, allegedly by the hands of her 27-year-old cousin in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga.

According to provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, the police and paramedics had received information regarding the body of a child found in some bushes. He says the medical personnel declared her dead on the scene and a case of murder was opened.

“Preliminary investigation indicated that the girl reportedly left home with her cousin to a nearby tuck shop to buy some snacks,” adds Mohlala.

However, the family was shocked when the cousin returned alone. Further allegations by members of the family indicate that he informed them that the girl went to play with other children in the neighbourhood.

Mohlala says the family was concerned that something could have happened to the child and they began searching for her until they sadly made the gruesome discovery of her body in the nearby bushes. The authorities were then notified.

“The police in Bushbuckridge arrested the suspect on the same day and charged him with murder. The suspect is expected to appear in the Bushbuckridge Magistrate’s Court soon and the investigation is still ongoing. It is not yet clear if the girl was raped or not, as that will form part of the probe,” he concludes.