A 14-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with the murder of six-year-old Desney Struis, whose body was discovered after she went missing from Visgat farm near Witzenberg in the Ceres district.
The teenager, who cannot be named because he is a minor, was arrested last week and appeared in court on 16 July 2026.
Police confirmed that the boy has been charged with Desney’s murder. The young learner, who attended Die Eike VGK Premier Skool, had been reported missing earlier this month. A community search was launched, and her body was later found dumped on the farm.
It is alleged that the child was also sexually assaulted.
Case Transferred to FCS Unit
Police spokesperson Thembakazi Mphendukana said a murder case was opened by Prince Alfred Hamlet SAPS following the incident.
“Prince Alfred Hamlet SAPS has opened a murder case following an incident that happened at a farm on Tuesday, 7 July, in which a six-year-old girl was murdered.
“A 14-year-old male suspect was apprehended and has appeared in court. The matter was postponed for Thursday, July 16, 2026, and the case docket was then forwarded to Ceres FCS for further investigation.
“Due to the sensitive nature of this incident, this office cannot reveal any further details regarding it.”
The matter has now been handed to the Ceres Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit, which specialises in cases involving crimes against women and children.
Because the accused is a minor, proceedings will follow the provisions of the Child Justice Act, and certain details may not be made public.
Community Shock
Desney’s death has sent shockwaves through the farming community near Witzenberg, where residents joined in the search after she was reported missing. Community members combed the area before the tragic discovery was made.
The case adds to growing concern about violence against children in the broader Ceres region.
Just last month, the Western Cape High Court handed down one of the most severe sentences in recent memory to convicted child rapist Leano Vergotine.
Vergotine was found guilty of committing a series of sexual offences between July and September 2022 involving three minors. He raped and filmed two boys, aged nine and 14, and sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl, physically attacking her during the ordeal.
He was sentenced to five life terms and an additional 78 years’ imprisonment, without the possibility of parole.
Investigation Ongoing
Police have not disclosed further details about the circumstances surrounding Desney’s disappearance or the events leading up to her death, citing the sensitive nature of the case and the age of the accused.
Investigations are continuing, and authorities have urged anyone with additional information to come forward.
As the legal process unfolds, Desney’s family and the local community are left grappling with the devastating loss of a young life.
