Police have launched a manhunt for a pastor in connection with the alleged rape of a 43-year-old mother and the murder of her four-month-old baby during what was reportedly meant to be a ritual near the Hennops River.
The baby’s body was found in a shallow grave near Diepsloot on Wednesday, while the pastor’s 24-year-old wife has been arrested.
According to preliminary police information, the mother travelled to the Hennops River near the R511 with the pastor and his wife for a ritual.
When the group arrived, the pastor’s wife reportedly remained behind with the baby while the pastor and the woman proceeded towards the river.
Police allege that the woman was later raped and tied up.
“She was subsequently raped and tied up,” police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said, outlining the preliminary version of events.
The woman managed to free herself and ran to a nearby construction site to seek help.
“It is alleged that the woman was subsequently raped and tied up,” Nevhuhulwi said.
“The victim managed to free herself and sought assistance at a nearby construction site. A private security company was activated, and the police were alerted.”
The report set off a search operation involving police, private security personnel and emergency resources.
A multidisciplinary team was deployed to look for the missing infant and trace the pastor and his wife.
The team included crime-scene management officers, Search and Rescue personnel, general detectives, Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences detectives, as well as drone operators.
The combined operation focused on two urgent tasks: finding the baby and locating the adults who had accompanied the mother to the river.
Police later found the pastor’s wife and questioned her.
She allegedly led investigators to a shallow grave, where the baby’s body was found.
“She led investigators to a shallow grave where the baby’s body was found,” Nevhuhulwi said.
The discovery turned a missing-child investigation into a murder case and prompted police to intensify the search for the pastor, who remains at large.
“Police have opened a case of kidnapping, rape and murder. The investigation is under way, while the manhunt for the pastor continues,” Nevhuhulwi said.
The pastor’s wife remains in custody. The exact charges she faces and the evidence linking her to the alleged crimes will be determined through the investigation and court process.
Police have not released the identities of the mother, the baby or the pastor.
The mother’s decision to seek help at the construction site was critical to the emergency response. The workers’ actions in alerting authorities enabled law-enforcement resources to be mobilised and a search to begin.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said roads, transport maintenance and construction teams noticed suspicious activity involving a man who appeared to have abducted a woman and her baby.
“Their quick thinking and decision to alert the authorities made a critical difference, enabling the Office of the Premier to mobilise law enforcement resources, including a helicopter search,” Lesufi said.
The premier condemned the alleged violence and expressed sympathy for the family.
“We condemn this savage act of barbarism that has taken an infant from a family, violated an innocent woman, and caused deep pain and anxiety to the family and the entire community. I offer my sincere condolences to the mother and family. No parent should ever face such trauma.”
The investigation remains at an early stage, and several important questions still need to be answered.
Detectives will have to establish what happened after the group reached the river, who was present during each stage of the alleged ritual, how the baby died and when the infant was taken to the grave.
They will also need to determine the role allegedly played by the pastor’s wife, whether other people were involved and where the pastor went after the mother escaped.
Evidence from the river and the shallow grave will be examined by crime-scene specialists. Investigators are expected to collect forensic material, record the location and condition of the grave and establish whether the evidence supports the accounts provided to police.
The mother is likely to be an important witness, although she has also been subjected to an alleged sexual assault and the loss of her child. Her medical and psychological needs will have to be considered as the investigation proceeds.
The Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit is involved in the case, reflecting the seriousness of the allegations and the need for specialised handling of the alleged rape and the death of the infant.
Search and Rescue officers and drone operators were brought in because the area around the Hennops River can be difficult to search. The terrain, riverbanks and surrounding open spaces can make it challenging to locate a missing person quickly, particularly when information about the last known movements is incomplete.
The involvement of a private security company and construction teams also highlights the importance of early reporting in missing-person and violent-crime cases.
The investigation is likely to examine whether the pastor had arranged the meeting with the mother under the pretext of a spiritual or traditional ritual, and whether she understood what was going to happen before travelling to the river.
At this stage, police have described the ritual only as part of their preliminary information. The full circumstances will have to be established through witness statements and forensic evidence.
The case has also raised concerns about the vulnerability of people who seek spiritual or religious assistance from individuals who hold positions of trust.
A pastor’s title does not provide immunity from investigation, and anyone accused of a serious crime remains subject to the ordinary criminal-justice process.
At the same time, the pastor remains an accused person who has not yet appeared in court and has not been convicted. The allegations against him must be tested through the legal process.
The pastor’s wife is also presumed innocent unless and until a court finds otherwise.
Police have not indicated whether the pastor’s wife has made a formal statement, whether she has appeared in court or whether a warrant has been issued for the pastor’s arrest.
Those details are expected to emerge as the investigation progresses.
The murder charge relates to the death of the four-month-old baby. The kidnapping allegation concerns the disappearance and taking of the child, while the rape charge concerns the alleged assault of the mother.
Each charge will require the state to present evidence linking the accused person or persons to the relevant conduct.
The mother’s escape prevented the alleged attack from remaining undiscovered and led to a rapid response. Her arrival at the construction site also allowed authorities to begin searching while there was still a chance of finding the baby alive.
Instead, the search ended with the discovery of the infant’s body.
For the family, the investigation now involves both the need for justice and the immediate trauma of losing a child under horrifying circumstances.
The mother must also recover from the alleged rape and the ordeal of being tied up and left to find help.
Gauteng authorities have not announced whether counselling or other support services have been arranged for her, but specialised assistance will be important as the case moves forward.
The investigation continues, with police searching for the pastor and examining the evidence gathered from the river, the construction site and the grave.
The pastor’s wife remains in custody while the mother receives care and the police work to establish the full sequence of events.
For now, the confirmed details are that a four-month-old baby was found dead in a shallow grave, the mother reported an alleged rape after escaping from the area, one suspect has been arrested and a manhunt is under way for the pastor.