Gruesome Murder-Suicide Leaves 3 Dead
Pini Bothoko | Monday October 21, 2019 13:13
Police discovered the two children’s bodies hanging on trees in the outskirts of the village recently.
Botswana Police Service’s (BPS) deputy public relations officer, senior superintendent Near Bagali confirmed the incident to The Monitor.
Bagali said the two children were a four-year-old girl and a five-year-old boy. He revealed that prior to the incident the Ncojane man had an altercation with his 22-year-old girlfriend.
“The children’s mother disclosed to the police that prior to the incident when quarrelling her boyfriend suggested for them to kill her children by poisoning them because they were not his biological children,” he said.
The police boss said following the duo’s dispute the children’s mother decided to go and report the matter to the police leaving the little ones under the care of their neighbours.
The police spokesperson revealed that while the mother was still away the boyfriend followed the children and claimed their mother was looking for them.
Bagali said after taking the children from the neighbours the deceased later went into the bush with them where he hung them to death before committing suicide. He said they managed to trace him because he had left a note explaining his whereabouts.
“Police followed him and made the gruesome discovery of two children hanging from separate trees. They looked for him and also found him hanging from a tree,” Bagali said.
He said the trio was taken to Ghanzi Primary Hospital where they were confirmed dead by doctors on arrival.
Bagali said a post mortem was conducted and the deceased’s bodies were handed back to their families for burial over the weekend.
He described the incident as gruesome stating that the whole village is deeply shocked by the apparent murder-suicide.
Bagali said love-related murder cases are high, adding he was disappointed by men who continue to kill their partners despite the police’s efforts to curb the scourge.
He said they often hold forums where they sensitise men on murder, suicide issues and other violent crimes, but their efforts seem to be falling on deaf ears.
Bagali said a majority of men appear to be failing to control their anger because they always commit such offences despite having received the message.
“There are organisations like Men Sector led by men, which we always engage to reach out to communities as a target audience. We frequently engage them to spread the message to their fellow men towards the reduction of gender-based violence,” Bagali added.