Heartbreak and anger filled the Randburg Magistrate’s Court this week as the case of the Lion Park child assault was postponed once again — this time because the investigation file was almost completely empty.
The man accused of brutally assaulting a three-year-old girl appeared briefly in court, but proceedings came to a standstill when the judge discovered that vital information was missing — no statement from the child, no eyewitness statement, no hospital or social worker reports, and no completed child assessment.
Visibly frustrated, the judge questioned how such a serious case could be handled so poorly, asking why a statement was being forced from a two-year-old instead of gathering proper evidence. She demanded that the case be removed from Detective Ngobeni of Honeydew Police Station, who had been assigned the matter after it was opened at Diepsloot SAPS. The judge also called for the station commander to account for the detective’s “incompetence.”
Community leader Katlego Makie Abigail Segole from Hope In Every Community (HIEC) said she was not surprised by the judge’s reaction.
“From the very beginning, it was clear that this case wasn’t being handled with the seriousness it deserves,” she said. “Nothing has been done. The detective failed this family and this little girl. It’s careless, degrading, and painful to witness.”
The victim’s mother and grandmother are struggling to hold back their anger and heartbreak. “We are confused and frustrated. How can we believe justice will be served if they do nothing?” the mother said through tears. “If they can’t do their job, then let them release him so that the community can deal with him — because what else must we do? We trusted the police. Now, we feel betrayed.”
She added that both she and the grandmother carry a heavy burden of guilt for allowing the suspect — someone they trusted — into their child’s life.
“We feel like we failed her. And now the system that should protect her is failing her too.”
Segole said the family’s pain has been deepened by a lack of urgency from those meant to protect them. “The child has been through enough. The least she deserves is a justice system that works,” she said.
The case has now been postponed to 11 December 2025, with the judge ordering a new detective to take over the investigation and ensure that all outstanding evidence is gathered.
For this family, the wait for justice continues — but so does their fight.