Western Cape police are investigating after an 11-year-old boy allegedly stabbed his stepfather to death inside their family home in Malmesbury.
The fatal incident happened on Hout Street in the early hours of Sunday morning, following a domestic dispute between the boy’s mother and stepfather, police said.
Police spokesperson Constable Ndakhe Gwala said the argument between the adults escalated into a physical altercation. The child then allegedly ran to the scene with a knife and fatally wounded the man.
“The argument between the two adults escalated to a physical fight, and the 11-year-old came running with a knife and fatally wounded the male. No arrest has been effected at this stage. Investigation is ongoing,” Gwala said.
The child has not been arrested. Under South Africa’s Child Justice Act, a child younger than 12 is below the minimum age of criminal capacity and cannot be arrested or charged with an offence. The Department of Justice says such a child may be referred to the Children’s Court.
Gwala said the matter would proceed through the required legal processes, including an assessment of the child, before a court makes a decision.
“It is up to the court to decide whether a child under 12 years has criminal capacity. The court does not allow the SAPS to arrest a child under 12 years of age. The child still needs to be assessed and evaluated, and only after a report has been submitted to the court will a decision be made by the court to bring the minor before a magistrate,” Gwala said.
The Child Justice Act provides that children under 12 do not have criminal capacity. The assessment and court process described by police will determine how the child’s circumstances are handled, rather than whether a child under 12 can be prosecuted as an adult.
Malmesbury DA ward councillor Anet de Beer confirmed the incident and described it as deeply distressing for the community. She said she had not yet visited the family and would not comment on the specifics or history of the household.
“These kinds of incidents almost never happen in this neck of the woods, so of course it is alarming when we hear of this unfortunate incident. At this point in time, I cannot comment on the specifics or the history of the family, but the incident is deeply sad,” she said.
De Beer urged residents not to speculate or spread unverified information about what happened inside the home.
“There is a minor involved in this, and so we must allow the SAPS to do their work so that they can get to the bottom of the investigation,” she said.
Police have not released the identity of the deceased or further details about the circumstances of the dispute. The investigation is continuing.