KZN mom, pastor arrested for allegedly beating kids to death in 'exorcism' ritual
A pastor and two members of a family - including a mother - have been arrested for the murders of two young girls near Nkandla.
Police spokesperson, Thembeka Mbele says officers responded to an incident at a home in Ezimambeni in March.
She says they were met by hostile family members who questioned why the police had come to the home - and later found the two nine-year-old victims on the floor inside a room.
"Upon questioning the family members on the girl's injuries, they alleged that the girls were attacked by evil spirits. The family further alleged that the young girls had been complaining that the evil spirit was beating them up and instructing them to drink blood.
"In response to the girls' attack by the evil spirits, the family also beat up the girls as a form of exorcism. A local pastor was also called to pray for the girls, and he also allegedly joined in the beating of the girls.
"Prior to the arrival of the police, the family had taken the deceased girl to the traditional healer after beating her. The traditional healer could not do anything for her because she was already deceased, and he brought back the body to the family."
One of the girls had already died while the other was found unconscious and rushed to a hospital.
"A few days later, the second young girl who was taken to hospital succumbed to her injuries and passed on. At that time an inquest docket was opened to be investigated by the detectives.
"Thorough investigations conducted by the Nkandla Detectives coupled with medical reports pointed to the fact that the young girls were subject severe beatings which were the cause of their death.
"Subsequent to the findings of the investigations the mother of the child, her relative and pastor were arrested for two counts of murder and will appear at the Nkandla Magistrate Court on Monday, 1 June 2020."
Mbele says the family are being investigated for the death of another girl in 2015.
"Further investigations also revealed that during the year 2015, another girl from the family died under mysterious circumstances and was buried a day after her death without the family informing any authorities.
"It is also suspected the same was going to happen to these young girls because according to the investigations the family had not reported their situation to anybody except for the pastor. Investigations are still ongoing, and the Nkandla detectives will also probe the death of the girl in 2015."
