UDPATE: Missing Child – Desperate mother searches Bethlehem

After a reported sighting in Bethlehem last night, Adri Blandin de Chalain, raced to the Free State town, desperate to find her son.

According to Adri, she was not being told anything by police, and needed to go to search for Marcel herself. Marcel has been missing since Sunday afternoon.

Pieter Viljoen, of Bethlehem Buurtwag spent the entire night combing the town, along with help from Bethlehem police.

“We havn’t found anything yet,” said Mr Viljoen. “I have notified my informants to keep a look out. We won’t stop until we find him.”

According to Hans de Beer, the suspects’ father, Johan has an ex girlfriend staying in Bethlehem, who also laid charges against him for theft, after Johan made off with a few items such as a bicycle.

Captain Flip Claassen of the Newcastle SAPS, along with a journalist from the Newcastle Advertiser, spent the entire night trying to co-ordinate a search effort, and have again drawn blank.

Ithemba Security also had reaction units patrolling, searching the areas. Unofficial sources within the Ladysmith traffic inspectorate have claimed the surveillance footage was perused and the vehicle was not seen at any time, nor was the vehicle seen passing through the Tugela East toll plaza.

“We can’t just sit and do nothing,” said Harvey Blandin de Chalain, the boy’s father. “The more help the better.”

Marcel, who is 12-years-old, is known to be travelling with the suspect, 24-year-old Johan de Beer, in a white Ford Ranger, registration NN44495. An unconfirmed report placed the two in Bethlehem last night at approximately 9pm.

Anyone with information regarding the suspect or the victim is urged to contact Captain Flip Claassen of the Newcastle SAPS on 079 5000 453.

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