Pastor arrested in Diepsloot in connection with infant’s murder
The infant's body was found buried in a shallow grave near the Hennops River earlier this week.
A 36-year-old pastor from Diepsloot, a suburb north of Johannesburg, has been arrested in connection with the murder of a four-month-old infant and the alleged rape of the infant's 43-year-old mother. The infant's body was discovered in a shallow grave near the Hennops River earlier this week. This arrest brings the total number of suspects in custody to three, including the pastor's two wives.
According to police, the suspect was apprehended in a backroom in Diepsloot's informal settlement on Thursday afternoon, following a thorough investigation that involved detectives and crime intelligence officers. He was reportedly found with injuries.
The incident is said to have taken place when the mother took the infant and one of the pastor's wives to the Hennops River near R511 for a ritual. The woman allegedly survived the ordeal after being raped and tied up but managed to escape and seek help at a nearby construction site. The pastor's 24-year-old wife then led police to the shallow grave where the baby's body was found.
The pastor is currently expected to appear in Atteridgeville Magistrates' Court on Monday. Police investigations into the matter are ongoing.
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