Tough action to be taken against parents for imprisoning son (7) with dogs

A seven-year-old with special needs was taken to a place of safety after he was found alone inside a locked four room house with dogs, no food, water or electricity for over a month. News of the heinous incident sent shockwaves through the community of Umlazi as the residents were bewildered by the parent’s blatant disregard for the child’s safety.

The child, who stayed with his father, was spotted by members of the public standing inside the house, which was secured with burglar guards and remained locked daily. It is believed that the boy’s grandmother left him in the care of his father, who then allegedly left the boy locked inside the house.

Reacting to the shocking incident of child neglect, KwaZulu-Natal social development MEC, Nonhlanhla Khoza, has vowed to intensify efforts to protect children from neglect and undetectable abuse.

“We have been taken aback by the conditions the child was left in. We are more surprised and shocked than anything, because we never thought a parent could do such a thing to his own child. The child has been left in such a despicable condition. No child deserves to be treated like this and there is no explanation that can be accepted from the parents of this poor child. There should be no negotiations with abusers. As the Department of Social Development, we are leaving no stone unturned in dealing with such cases in our society. A number of children are brought up in unsafe homes. We encourage parents to make use of government help if they find themselves unable to take care of children,” said MEC Khoza.

A team of social workers was dispatched to the premises and provided psycho-social support to the little boy, who has since been taken to a safe place.

MEC Khoza further stated that the department would ensure that both parents face the wrath of the law for child abuse and neglect.