Parents charged after missing child, 4, found in bushes

A four-year-old girl who had been reported missing by her parents has been found in bushes on a mountain next to the N9 near Aberdeen.

Her parents were charged with child abuse, neglect and abandonment.

Eastern Cape police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nomthetheleli Mene praised the community for helping police in the search for the little girl.

A missing person inquiry was opened at the Aberdeen police station at about 3.20pm on Tuesday after the disappearance of the child.

Members of the Gqeberha and Cradock K9 search-and-rescue unit, with the assistance of local members, immediately launched a search.

The search continued the next day with volunteers from the community..

“Moments later, a group of residents found the missing girl in the bushes on a mountain next to the N9,” police spokesperson Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli said.

Her parents, aged 37 and 39, were charged on Thursday and released on warning.

The case was postponed to September 15 for further investigation.

Mene commended the community members for their efforts in trying to locate the child.

“A turnaround period during search-and-rescue operations is crucial, and their assistance was the difference between life and death,” Mene said.

HeraldLIVE