A two-year-old girl sustained severe injuries after she was allegedly thrown against a wall and slapped by her mother’s boyfriend during a domestic dispute.
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A 50-year-old Bloemfontein man has been arrested and remains in custody after he allegedly threw a two-year-old girl against a wall and slapped her during an altercation with her mother, leaving the child with facial injuries and bleeding from the nose.
The suspect, who is the boyfriend of the child's mother, appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Monday, March 31, and is due back in court on Tuesday, April 8.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Mahlomola Kareli said the incident occurred shortly after midnight on Saturday, March 29, at the suspect’s residence in Glen Location.
The 29-year-old mother had left her two children in his care while she briefly stepped out to borrow a cellphone from a neighbour to access her banking app.
During her absence, everything seemed normal. However, a heated argument erupted upon her return, reportedly triggered by the suspect accusing her of an interaction with another man.
“During the altercation, the suspect allegedly physically assaulted the mother before waking the children and instructing them to leave the premises,” said Kareli.
When the two-year-old girl refused to comply, the situation escalated into violence.
“The suspect allegedly picked her up and violently threw her against a wall. He then proceeded to slap her across the face with an open hand,” said Kareli.
Fearing for their lives, the mother grabbed her injured child and fled to her mother’s house. The toddler reportedly sustained severe injuries, including “swelling on the left side of her face, swollen lips, and bleeding from the nose", Kareli said.
A case of assault was opened by Glen police station, leading to the arrest of the suspect.
The suspect will remain in custody until his next court appearance.
IOL News
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