Johannesburg – A man, 36, has been arrested and faces a charge of murder after a 2-year-old girl was stabbed to death with a broken bottle in the early hours of Monday.
The incident happened at a Bleskop Mine Club residence outside Rustenburg in the North West.
It’s believed the man works at the mine and stays with his family in a house provided by the company.
It’s believed he woke up and started screaming that people were attacking him.
According to North West police spokesperson Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone, when the man’s bewildered wife started asking questions, he assaulted her.
As the man’s violent behaviour and hallucinations intensified, the woman fled the house with their two children, aged 6 and 2.
“While the wife and the 6-year-old managed to escape, the man grabbed the 2-year-old and locked himself with the child inside the house.
“He repeatedly stabbed her with a broken wine bottle before damaging household goods and breaking the windows,” he said.
Mokgwabone said police, along with a negotiator, were summoned to the scene.
However, the man was still very violent, shouting and refusing to co-operate.
“The apparently mentally unstable suspect was arrested by the members of Tactical Response Team who handed him over to paramedics for sedation.
“The police found the child’s body inside the house with multiple stab wounds. The suspect is currently under police guard in hospital and is expected to appear in the Rustenburg Magistrate’s Court soon on a charge of murder.
IOL