Although provincial police commissioner Mzwandile Petros often visits crime scenes, he was reluctant to attend the site where the body of three-year-old Viwe Mnembe was found at the weekend.
Speaking at a police briefing yesterday, Petros, who took the opportunity to announce new appointees, said his reluctance to visit the bushes where the toddler’s body was found was fuelled by his incomprehension of how a three-year-old could be raped.
“When I was told about her abduction, I held my breath in the hope that she would be found alive. I can’t imagine how a three-year-old can be raped and stabbed.”
The commissioner said he had met with several NGOs after a spate of child violence incidents, and together, they were exploring how to combat violence against children.
“These days it is normal for children to be abducted and killed on a weekly basis in this province and we must investigate why it is happening.”
He said there was a commitment made by police to see that more capacity was given to units which dealt with this type of crime and thanked the NGOs for counselling families and police officers who visited crime scenes involving children.
Petros said residents should be appreciative of police officers who investigated crimes against children as he “can’t imagine the trauma they must face”.
The commissioner said he understood residents’ apathy when it came to the police, but reiterated that the police would continue to do everything they could to catch criminals.
He said police also did their best to oppose bail and would continue doing so.
On Monday, the 24-year-old charged with Viwe’s death appeared in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court in connection with the little girl’s abduction and murder.
Viwe’s body, covered in stab wounds, was found near her home on Saturday after she was abducted on Thursday from a day care centre. Her captor allegedly demanded a R500 ransom.
The man is expected to appear in court again on July 6.
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