{
  "id": 16190545,
  "title": "Father accused of putting sleeping tablets in family meal as two daughters die",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/23/father-accused-of-putting-sleeping-tablets-in-family-meal-as-two",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-23T13:45:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/thepost/news/2026-10-23-father-accused-of-putting-sleeping-tablets-in-family-meal-as-two-daughters-die/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Thomas Lourens Tolmay, a 34-year-old father from Germiston, South Africa, faces serious charges after his two young daughters tragically died and his wife and another daughter were left critically injured following an alleged incident involving the ingestion of sleeping tablets. According to prosecutors, Tolmay allegedly added prescription sleeping tablets to the family's meal and fed it to his three daughters and wife. The incident occurred on Tuesday, resulting in the deaths of his one-year-old daughter and his 11-year-old daughter, while his wife and the youngest daughter remain hospitalized in critical condition.\n\nTolmay was initially seen fleeing the scene, leading to a widespread police search for him. He was eventually apprehended two days after the alleged incident. During his court appearance on Monday, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Magaboke Mohlatlole, informed the court that the charges against Tolmay have been expanded to include two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder. Additionally, the State has added an extra charge of theft, related to the alleged theft of a laptop from Tolmay's employer.\n\nUpon his arrest, Tolmay was remanded into police custody and is set to reappear in court for a formal bail application in the coming week.",
  "summary": "A 34-year-old man faces two murder and two attempted-murder charges after his daughters, aged one and 11, died following an alleged incident involving sleeping tablets.",
  "key_points": [
    "Germiston father Thomas Lourens Tolmay accused of adding sleeping tablets to family meal",
    "Two young daughters and wife critically injured, one-year-old and 11-year-old daughters die",
    "Charges expanded to include two counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder, and theft"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}