Woman bludgeoned toddler to death after finding out nine-year-old son raped her
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT. A mother bludgeoned a three-year-old girl over the head with a blunt rock after finding out the toddler had been raped by her nine-year-old son.
The South African woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, reportedly murdered her friend's daughter to "silence her" and protect her son, Metro UK reported.
She dumped the body of the girl, known as Asanda Mbuku, in her backyard next to a banana tree.
The 32-year-old woman pleaded guilty to one count of murder and another of attempting to obstruct justice, and was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
She told the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria that she was looking after the girl as a favour to her friend when she found the toddler half naked near the door.
"I realised she was not moving and sprinkled her with water to wake her, but she did not," the woman said according to the newspaper.
She then realised that her son had raped the little girl and said she murdered the toddler out of fear that she would wake up and tell people what had happened.
"I took a rock and I hit her on the head to kill her. I hid her at the back of my garden," she told the court.
"I did all this because my son had raped her and I did not want anyone to find out. I burnt her jacket and shoes.
"I am so sorry for what I did. I beg you for mercy."
When her friend came to collect their little girl, the woman claimed she didn't know where she had gone.
The following day, the boy, who is now 11, was sent to school and later confessed to his aunt when he returned home.
Judge Tshifhiwa Maumela said it was a shame the mother didn’t realise that her son would not have been arrested because South African law states that a child under the age of 10 cannot be held criminally responsible for their actions.
