Mentally unfit father guilty of daughter's murder
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Wednesday November 13, 2019 15:27
The convict, Seane George, was found guilty of killing his daughter, Rorisang Lucia Vangae, at Sepako village in the Central District on June 14, 2016.
He later claimed that wildlife animals killed his daughter while they were sleeping at his parents’ place.
When delivering judgement in the matter today, Justice Lot Moroka said that even though George had pleaded not guilty to the murder of his child, the state has proven beyond reasonable doubt that he was the one who murdered her.
Moroka said that according to the pathologist’s report, the deceased died after a sharp object slit her throat.
The judge added that the wound on the deceased’s neck was consistent with the knife used to slit her throat.
He said: “On that fateful day, the accused took his daughter from her maternal grandmother’s place saying that he wanted to spend time with her. He then went with her to his parents’ place. At night, he cut the throat of her daughter with a knife. The accused then went to one of his neighbours and asked her to come and see what he had done. The neighbour obliged and went with the accused to his parents’ place. While the duo was about to reach the accused’s place of residence, the accused told her that he was not going with her inside the yard. The neighbour then proceeded into the yard alone and discovered what the accuse had done.”
Moroka added that the incident was then reported to the police who found the girl in a pool of blood wrapped with a blanket with her throat slit.
He said that when the police later asked George about what happened, he told them that wild animals attacked them while they were still asleep.
Moroka stated that forensic analysis performed on the knife that the police found in George’s house and DNA of the child were similar.
“The DNA tests performed on the corpse and pillows of the accused’s bedroom were similar,” said Moroka.
According to Moroka, the police also found a diary under the table near the accused’s bed written ‘Robala ka kagiso Rorisang Lucia Vangae’ meaning rest in peace Rorisang Lucia Vangae.
The judge said that after the accused was taken for psychiatric evaluation, an expert who examined him came to the conclusion that the accused was mentally disturbed during that fateful day and he could no longer differentiate between good and bad.
Moroka stated that there is no dispute that when the accused took the deceased from her maternal grandmother’s place, the deceased was well and alive.
Moroka added: “No evidence of animal tracks were found in the yard or house of the accused. The wound on the neck was consistent with a cut from a knife. I therefore find that the accused murdered his child.”
He continued: “The accused’s guilty verdict would be sent to the President to determine what to do with him. Sending his verdict to the President is like being sentenced to life in jail because the President may decide not to release him if he is proven to be unfit to be released from custody.”
The court also heard that the accused was prompted by his tumultuous love relationship with Rorisang’s mother to kill his daughter.