Police in eMzinoni find dead toddler covered in glue
The mother is being detained and the child’s sister has been taken to a place of safety.
Police in eMzinoni have opened an inquest and a child neglect case following the death of a two-year-old child who was allegedly left unattended with his nine-year-old sister.
According to eMzinoni police spokesperson Sergeant Cynthia Mtshweni, a family from Ext 6 in eMzinoni reported the incident to the police on July 9.
Police officers accompanied the family to the home to investigate the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.
Mtshweni said the children’s mother told police that she had gone to visit her boyfriend in Ext 5, leaving her two children—a two-year-old boy and a nine-year-old girl—asleep in her room.
She later returned home and attempted to breastfeed the two-year-old, but found that he was unresponsive.
“When she asked her nine-year-old daughter what had happened, the child was unable to explain properly,” said Mtshweni.
The mother then called her sister, who lives in the main house on the property.
As they took the child into the main house, they allegedly noticed that his face, particularly around the mouth, and parts of his clothes were covered in glue.
According to Mtshweni, the mother tried to remove the glue from the child’s face, but this allegedly caused the skin to peel off.
When police arrived at the scene, they found the toddler lying on the floor with injuries to his face.
The nine-year-old girl also had glue on her face and clothes.
Police searched the room where the children had been sleeping and found several containers of glue, as well as glue stored inside a plastic bag.
Social workers were called to the scene and removed the girl to a safe place while the investigation continues.
The exact cause of the child’s death will be determined through a post-mortem examination.
“An inquest into the toddler’s death has been opened, as well as a case of child neglect. The mother was detained at eMzinoni SAPS. The family confirmed that the mother has a history of smoking glue,” said Mtshweni.
