Pastor's wife in court as police hunt husband over Atteridgeville baby's death
Cases of kidnapping, rape and murder have been opened after a four-month-old was found buried in a shallow grave, and the mother alleges the couple took her child during a ritual at the Hennops River.
The wife of a pastor implicated in the death of a four-month-old baby is expected to appear in the Atteridgeville Magistrate’s Court on Friday, and police say they are closing in on her husband.
As eNCA reported on 9 October, the man is wanted in connection with the alleged rape of the baby’s 24-year-old mother and the infant’s murder. The baby was found buried in a shallow grave in Atteridgeville after an intensive search.
The mother alleges that the pastor and his wife took the infant during a ritual at the Hennops River. She further alleges that the pastor tied her up and raped her. Police have opened cases of kidnapping, rape and murder, and investigations continue.
None of the allegations has been tested in court, and the husband has not been arrested. The wife has not pleaded to any charge.
Atteridgeville sits west of Pretoria, and the case is before the district court that serves the township. A first appearance of this kind is typically brief. The matter is likely to be postponed while the police investigation continues, and bail may be considered.
The case has drawn a warning from the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities, which cautioned against what it called religious wolves in sheep’s clothing after the pastor case. The commission is the statutory body that handles complaints about religious and cultural practice in South Africa.
For a reader following the story, three things are worth holding apart. What the mother alleges is her account, made to the police. What the police have opened are cases, which is a step in an investigation and not a finding. What the court will decide is whether any charge is proved against any accused.
Anyone with information on the husband’s whereabouts can contact the South African Police Service. The Enquirer will report the outcome of Friday’s appearance when it is known.
Source: eNCA, Pastor’s wife expected in court as manhunt for husband continues
