Police are searching for a suspect who is on the run after he allegedly kidnapped and assaulted an 18-year-old in Ext 25 eMbalenhle.
According to Const Busi Mthethwa, spokesperson for the eMbalenhle Police, the victim was doing laundry outside her house on Thursday, March 24, when her neighbour asked where was her baby.
The neighbour allegedly saw a man carrying a child into a taxi.
The victim said her child was asleep inside the house.
However, she rushed into her house to check on her child but her child was not there.
The 18-year-old then followed the suspect to where he lived.
The suspect allegedly locked the mother and infant in the house while he went to the shop.
Upon his return, the suspect wanted the baby’s umbilical cord.
She told him that her mother has the umbilical cord and was waiting to give it to the suspect’s family.
According to Mthethwa, the suspect then allegedly accused the girl of lying. He alleged that her mother wanted to kill the child.
The suspect then forced the victim to breastfeed the baby even though the infant had been bottle-fed for some time.
Mthethwa said the suspect afterwards handcuffed the young mother and beat her with a sjambok all over her body.
The victim was rescued when the police accompanied her mother to the suspect’s house, but the suspect escaped.
It is currently unclear what the relationship is between the victim and the suspect.
Mthethwa said police are appealing to the community to report the suspect’s whereabouts to Detective Sgt Theodora Mthimunye on 076 106 2984
