PRETORIA: Police have launched a manhunt for a pastor following the alleged rape of a 43-year-old mother and the murder of her four-month-old baby, whose body was found buried in a shallow grave on Wednesday, 7 October.
Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said preliminary information indicated that the woman, from Atteridgeville, west of Pretoria, had gone to the Hennops River near the R511 with her pastor and his wife for a ritual.
Ritual at the river
“Upon arrival, the pastor’s wife reportedly remained behind with the baby while the pastor and the woman proceeded towards the river. It is alleged that the woman was subsequently raped and tied up,” Nevhuhulwi said.
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She said the woman managed to free herself and sought help at a nearby construction site.
Search for the baby
“A private security company was activated and the police were alerted. A multidisciplinary team comprising Crime Scene Management, Search and Rescue, General Detectives, Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) detectives, as well as drone operators, was immediately deployed to search for the missing infant and locate the pastor and his wife,” Nevhuhulwi added.
The pastor’s 24-year-old wife was later found and questioned by police.
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She led investigators to a shallow grave, where the baby’s body was found.
Police have opened a case of kidnapping, rape and murder.
The investigation is under way, and the manhunt for the pastor continues.
