A 29-year-old mentally challenged woman is alleged to have strangled her daughter to death with a scarf on Friday at Omanenepeke village in the Onesi constituency of Omusati region.
She is arraigned on a charge of murder and is expected to appear in the Outapi Magistrate’s Court today.
Police regional commander in Omusati Commissioner Titus Shikongo said preliminary investigations indicate the suspect allegedly called the victim to her sleeping room to cut her hair.
“It was at that point when the deceased entered the suspect’s room that the suspect allegedly grabbed the deceased and strangled her with a white scarf, resulting in the deceased’s death on the spot,” said Shikongo.
The motive behind the gruesome murder is still to be established.
Investigations are ongoing.
The suspect was alone in the house with the four-year-old victim and two minor children, aged eight and 10.
The victim was identified as four-year-old Emilia Ndiweni Josef.
In an unrelated matter, a 12-year-old girl was reportedly raped by two men at Esilikalanga village in Okahao constituency. It is alleged the suspects called the minor into their sleeping room and violated her.
One of the suspects is 24-years-old, while the other one’s age is unknown.
The alleged incident happened on the second day of this year.
Another case of rape as well as assault by threat and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm have also been registered in Omusati.
The cases come after a man, whose age is yet to be established, allegedly beat his 35-year-old girlfriend with fists and dry sticks and repeatedly raped his girlfriend and threatened to kill her with a panga.
The incidents happened between October 2012 and 7 December 2020 at Oshinghono location in the Outapi constituency.
The suspects in both rape cases have not been established and investigation into the matter continues.
In a separate incident, the police in Omusati have also registered a case of culpable homicide and reckless or negligent driving after a pedestrian was bumped while crossing the road on Tuesday.
The accident happened at Ombwana-Shoni T-junction in the Elim Constituency.
The pedestrian sustained injuries and was taken to the Okahao District Hospital and was later transferred to the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on Friday. The victim was identified as 60-year-old Likius Nuuyoma from Ondjindja village. His next of kin has been informed.
The 42-year-old driver of the white BMW was driving from Okahao to Oshakati. - nashipala@nepc.com.na