Pastor accused of murdering 4-month-old baby and raping mom to appear in court

A 36-year-old man known as a pastor and accused of the murder of a 4-month-old baby and the rape of her mother is expected to make his first appearance in court.

The man is expected to appear in the Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 12 October 2026.

His two wives will join him in the dock.

Arrest

The so-called pastor was arrested over the weekend after police found him hiding in a back room at an informal settlement in Diepsloot.

“The arrest brings the total number of suspects arrested in connection with the incident to three, including the suspect’s two wives, who appeared before the Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court on 9 October 2026,” said police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi.

Rape

Police said the man and his two wives took the 43-year-old woman and her baby to the Hennops River in Pretoria last week for a ritual.

The pastor allegedly went ahead with the woman, leaving the infant with his wives. 


Police believe the woman was raped before she managed to escape.

Body

The baby’s body was later found in a shallow grave near the river. The pastor’s two wives were arrested first, with one of them allegedly leading the police to the infant’s body.

The Gauteng Provincial Government condemned the kidnapping and killing of the four-month-old baby and the alleged rape of the child’s mother, with Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi describing the incident as a “savage act of barbarism.”

Gauteng reeling

Lesufi said the horrific nature of the crime had left the province reeling.

“We condemn this savage act of barbarism that has taken an infant from a family, violated an innocent woman, and caused deep pain and anxiety to the family and the entire community.”

The premier said the tragedy underscores the urgent need to tackle gender-based violence and crimes against vulnerable members of society.