The horror of how two little girls were tortured and raped, allegedly by a man who lured them to his shack by giving them money to buy chips, was laid bare in the Port Elizabeth High Court on Tuesday.
The mother of one of the alleged victims testified how after, frantically helping to search for her five-year-old daughter all night, she found her at dawn the next day, stripped naked in a New Brighton shack — but alive.
The woman, 39, told the court she had feared the worst the night before, when she was led to the open field where her daughter’s six-year-old friend was found stabbed, covered in blood and barely alive.
“I was so worried to see [the-six-year-old’s] condition.
“The thought crossed my mind that if [she] was in such a condition she might die, [my daughter] was still missing, she could be dead,” the distraught mother said.
The girls had disappeared at about 6pm on September 20 2017.
The woman was testifying against Mlungiseleli Patrick Tyane, 51, who has been charged with two counts of rape, two of kidnapping and one of attempted murder.
He pleaded not guilty to all the charges on Monday.
The woman said after searching for her daughter, she became so overcome by stress that she collapsed while walking to the field near the Ford Stadium, where residents and police had gathered.
It was where her daughter’s friend was found.
“When I got there I did not know who the child was.
“The hairstyle looked like [my daughter’s].”
Proceedings had to be adjourned several times after the woman and court officials burst into tears.
The woman said after the six-year-old was found, she returned home to change before continuing to look for her daughter.
“On my way back to the stadium, I stood there where there were many police officers and police vans.”
“An officer asked her if she was the mother of the five-year-old.
“He then led her to a shack, opened the door and took her inside.
“[I] was shocked to see [my daughter’s] clothes on the floor.
“I also saw a knife, part of which was protruding through the mattress next to the clothes.
“I did not see [my daughter] until a police officer pointed her out.
“She looked feverish and tired.
“I ran to [her] but a police officer stopped me and said, ‘please don’t touch her’.
“I said ‘please I want to hug and hold her’," the woman said.
“He allowed me to and I hugged and kissed her.”
Earlier, the mother of the other child testified she knew Tyane from seeing him in the area and knew the shack where he had stayed with his alleged girlfriend at the time.
It was the same shack where Tyane allegedly lured the girls after giving them money to buy chips before allegedly stripping them, tying them up and raping them.
The case continues.
Night of horror for two young girls relived in court
Image: Eugene Coetzee
The horror of how two little girls were tortured and raped, allegedly by a man who lured them to his shack by giving them money to buy chips, was laid bare in the Port Elizabeth High Court on Tuesday.
The mother of one of the alleged victims testified how after, frantically helping to search for her five-year-old daughter all night, she found her at dawn the next day, stripped naked in a New Brighton shack — but alive.
The woman, 39, told the court she had feared the worst the night before, when she was led to the open field where her daughter’s six-year-old friend was found stabbed, covered in blood and barely alive.
“I was so worried to see [the-six-year-old’s] condition.
“The thought crossed my mind that if [she] was in such a condition she might die, [my daughter] was still missing, she could be dead,” the distraught mother said.
The girls had disappeared at about 6pm on September 20 2017.
The woman was testifying against Mlungiseleli Patrick Tyane, 51, who has been charged with two counts of rape, two of kidnapping and one of attempted murder.
He pleaded not guilty to all the charges on Monday.
The woman said after searching for her daughter, she became so overcome by stress that she collapsed while walking to the field near the Ford Stadium, where residents and police had gathered.
It was where her daughter’s friend was found.
“When I got there I did not know who the child was.
“The hairstyle looked like [my daughter’s].”
Proceedings had to be adjourned several times after the woman and court officials burst into tears.
The woman said after the six-year-old was found, she returned home to change before continuing to look for her daughter.
“On my way back to the stadium, I stood there where there were many police officers and police vans.”
“An officer asked her if she was the mother of the five-year-old.
“He then led her to a shack, opened the door and took her inside.
“[I] was shocked to see [my daughter’s] clothes on the floor.
“I also saw a knife, part of which was protruding through the mattress next to the clothes.
“I did not see [my daughter] until a police officer pointed her out.
“She looked feverish and tired.
“I ran to [her] but a police officer stopped me and said, ‘please don’t touch her’.
“I said ‘please I want to hug and hold her’," the woman said.
“He allowed me to and I hugged and kissed her.”
Earlier, the mother of the other child testified she knew Tyane from seeing him in the area and knew the shack where he had stayed with his alleged girlfriend at the time.
It was the same shack where Tyane allegedly lured the girls after giving them money to buy chips before allegedly stripping them, tying them up and raping them.
The case continues.
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