Teenage boy kills his 3-year-old brother with rat poison to ‘inflict pain on their parents’

An 18-year-old South African boy allegedly poisoned his three-year-old brother to d3ath to hurt his parents.

The toddler was laid to rest on Friday, February 7, 2025

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana said the incident happened at Drieziek Extension 3 in Orange Farm in Johannesburg, on January 31, 2025.

“The child’s mother was at home with the accused and her other two sons, aged 16 and 22, when she noticed that her youngest son was missing. Assuming he was playing at a neighbour’s house, she did not raise the immediate alarm. However, by 1pm, when the child had still not returned, she started searching for him,” she said.

Mahanjana said around 4pm, the 16-year-old younger brother of the accused went to a nearby veld near the N1 highway to feed his goats when he saw the accused placing the child’s body inside a dustbin.

“After confronting him, the brother took the dustbin containing the child’s body to their home and informed their mother. Emergency services were called, and the child was declared dead at the scene,” she said.

She added that the following day, the accused handed himself over to the police and allegedly confessed to poisoning his brother with rat poison.

The suspect appeared in the Vereeniging Magistrates’ Court last Tuesday in connection with the murder. 

The matter was postponed to February 13, 2025, for a formal bail application. 

In an interview with Newzroom Africa on Monday, February 10, he father said when he confronted his son about the incident, the teenager told him he k!lled his brother to inflict pain on his parents. 

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