A three-year-old girl is currently in an induced coma, fighting for her life, after allegedly being r3ped, st3bbed, and left for d3ad on a shack’s roof in the Lion Park informal settlement in Diepsloot, Gauteng, South Africa.
The 28-year-old suspect, Dlodlo, the mother’s ex-boyfriend and a once-trusted family friend who often babysat the child, was reportedly caught by community members, while drinking with friends, and appeared unaware that the child had survived and was fighting for her life in the hospital.
He allegedly confessed, claiming that “the devil made him do it.”
A community member discovered Warona (a pseudonym) on the roof of the suspect’s shack on Sunday, September 7, 2025, around 6pm.
The child had been under the care of her grandmother while her mother was at work when Dlodlo took her and two other children under the pretence of buying them sweets.
When the other two children returned without Warona, neighbours alerted the grandmother.
The incident has left the community reeling and sparked urgent calls for justice.
Family members told journalists on Saturday, September 20, that medical reports confirmed the child had been s3xually v!0lated, st@bbed in the neck, and left on the roof before the suspect fled the scene.
“She was brought down from the roof and rushed to Diepsloot Clinic, but her injuries were too severe. She was referred to Yusuf Dadoo Hospital, then Leratong, and finally Baragwanath Hospital,” a close relative explained.
“She underwent extensive surgery on her gen!tals and neck before being placed in an induced coma.”
The family described the suspect as a trusted figure.
“We didn’t see any problem with him spending time with the baby. That’s why we didn’t worry when she wasn’t back home yet,” a family member said.
They revealed that when the community learned of the crime, they launched a search and found the alleged perpetrator was eventually found drinking with friends after a tip-off.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) had earlier issued a public alert and a wanted picture of the suspect a day after the incident, appealing to the public for assistance in tracing him.
The Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) detectives, along with members from the K9, Drone unit and Crime Intelligence, mobilised resources to find him.
By the time officers reached the scene, the shack where the attack took place had already been torn down by outraged community members, according to the statement.
Police then warned against tampering with crime scenes, stressing that it can compromise evidence and hinder ongoing investigations.
Gauteng Police spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo confirmed that the man appeared in court on September 12, and is scheduled to appear at Randburg Magistrate’s Court on November 7, 2025.
“Police can confirm that a suspect who was wanted for allegedly raping a three-year-old girl in Diepsloot was apprehended by the private security officers on Tuesday, September 9. He was charged with rape and appeared before Randburg Magistrate’s Court.”
As the case proceeds, civil society groups, the victim’s family, and the Lanseria community continue to demand swift justice. For them, this case has become a painful reminder of South Africa’s ongoing battle against gender-based violence and child abuse and the urgent need to protect its most vulnerable citizens.
Seven women d!ed while 11 others were injured during a protest in Lamurde Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
According to Daily Trust, the women were protesting what they termed delayed response by the military to calm tensions between Bachama and Chobo communities of the LGA, when the incident occurred on Monday, December 8, 2025.
The women, who were seen holding leaves blocked the movement of troops into the area, accusing security agencies of delayed responses and biased interventions in favour of the Chobo community.
However, during the confrontation, sources said the military allegedly fired shots into the crowd and four of the women d!ed on the spot, while three others d!ed in the hospital. It was further learnt that 11 others, who were injured are currently receiving treatment.
“They came out peacefully, carrying leaves, begging for security, instead, they were met with live gunfire.
“The wounded were rushed to Numan General Hospital, where medical officials say some remain in critical condition,” District Head of Gyawana, a community in Lamurde LGA, Chief Agoso Bamaiyi, said.
Meanwhile, Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri has imposed a 24-hour curfew on Lamurde Local Government Area, following the incident.
The directive was announced on Monday in a statement issued by the Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Hussaini Hammangabdo, who confirmed that the governor has instructed security operatives to immediately move into the troubled communities
The statement said Fintiri had ordered security agencies to respond swiftly to the renewed crisis to re-establish stability and prevent further breakdown of law and order.
The Adamawa State Government has imposed a 24-hour curfew on Lamurde Local Government Area with immediate effect following a renewed communal clash that broke out on Sunday evening,” the statement read.
Hammangabdo said security agencies have been directed to move into the area and restore peace and order without delay.
The state government also appealed to residents of Lamurde to remain peaceful and cooperate with the deployed personnel as efforts intensify to contain the situation and avert additional violence.
The fresh violence erupted barely days after Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri brokered a fragile peace deal between the warring Chobo and Bachama groups, according to Dr. Jamila Suleiman, Executive Vice Chairperson of the Adamawa State Peace Commission
When contacted on phone, the police spokesman, Adamawa State Command, S.P. Suleiman Nguroje, confirmed that some people lost their lives and that the injured were taken to a hospital for treatmen
“Actually lives were lost. But for now, we cannot give the total number of people that lost their lives but the injured have been taken to a hospital for treatment,” he said.
Nguroje said that based on the reports he received in the morning, the incident centered within Rugange and neighbouring villages, down to Wadugo
Asked on the cause of the incident, the spokesman said police had been drafted to the area to investigate the root cause, so he will not pre-empt their finding
“I plead that we should give them the opportunity to come out with their findings on what must have triggered the conflict so as to make it known to the members of the public,” he added.
The Kogi State Government has said security operatives have intercepted a group of underage children trafficked into the state in what is suspected to be a covert recruitment attempt for banditry training.
The State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, December 9, 2025 said some suspects linked to the trafficking operation were arrested.
“At about 1500hrs on December 5, 2025, eagle-eyed security operatives of the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Yagba Area Command, in collaboration with other security agencies in Isanlu, acting on credible intelligence from community hunters, intercepted a truck conveying 21 children aged between six and 17 years into Kogi State,” the commissioner stated.
He said initial investigations revealed that the children were moved from different northern states under suspicious circumstances by adults who could not provide legitimate justification for their movement.
“Several suspects linked to the trafficking operation have been arrested, including individuals who claimed they were transporting the children to establish an informal ‘Islamic school’ within Yagba East,” he said.
Fanwo added that further arrests were made as security operatives intensified surveillance in the area, uncovering additional persons allegedly connected to the movement of the minors.
“Some of the suspects were also found with items raising significant security concerns,” he said, adding that the rescued children had been transferred to the NSCDC State Command in Lokoja for detailed investigation and proper profiling of all persons involved.
He said Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo had directed the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development to take full custody of the underage victims, ensure their wellbeing and provide necessary psychosocial support pending the conclusion of investigations.
“Upon completion of profiling and verification, the children will be handed over to their respective state governments for further investigation and eventual reintegration with their families,” he noted.
The commissioner, however, said all individuals found culpable in the trafficking operation would be prosecuted in line with Kogi State’s child trafficking and child rights protection laws.
“The Kogi State Government reiterates its uncompromising stance against child trafficking, criminal infiltration and any form of security threat.
“The administration of Governor Ododo will continue to work closely with security agencies and local communities to safeguard every part of the state,” he added.
A 64-year-old man who worked as a “Santa for hire” in New Jersey, United States, has been arrested after authorities accused him of possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material, raising concerns over his repeated interactions with children during holiday events.
As reported by Daily Star on Tuesday, Mark Paulino, of Hamilton Township, was taken into custody on Monday and charged with possession and distribution of child sexual abuse materials, as well as endangering the welfare of a child.
According to Mercer County officials, the investigation began on 4 December 2025, when detectives were alerted to suspicious activity involving the alleged uploading of child pornography from a Hamilton Township residence.
The probe quickly identified Paulino, who had previously worked as a retired elementary school teacher, as the person involved.
Police said Paulino had presented himself online as a retired teacher and had recently performed as Santa Claus for photographs and private, corporate, and organisational events, a role that brought him into repeated contact with children.
“Because this role involved direct, repeated contact with children, detectives worked around the clock to secure a search warrant,” authorities said.
The warrant was executed on 5 December, during which police seized multiple items of evidentiary value, and Paulino was arrested without incident.
Prosecutors have since filed a motion to detain him pending trial, and the investigation is ongoing. Authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward.
