Bloodstain at their front door - a stark reminder of the day their son was stabbed more than 30 times

18 July 2017 - 16:54 By DANIEL MEYER and Peru Saal
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Close-up of man holding knife smeared with blood and still dripping. File photo.
Close-up of man holding knife smeared with blood and still dripping. File photo.
Image: Gallo Images/ IStock

The family of the 12-year-old boy who was stabbed more than 30 times last week is frantically trying to get rid of the bloodstain in front of their home. No amount of water and soap can remove the painful reminder of where the child lay waiting for an ambulance after the attack.

His grandfather said he hopes to go to the fire station to get help to clean the area.

"When he comes home I don't want him to see it here‚'' said the man who shared that doctors are optimistic that his grandson will make a full recovery.

The boy was playing soccer at a communal park with friends when Moain Salie‚ 31‚ allegedly approached him and stabbed him repeatedly.

The worst of his injuries are severed tendons in both of his hands resulting from his efforts to fight off his attacker.

The grandfather attended Salie’s latest court appearance on Tuesday.

“We took the bandages off his hands yesterday (Monday) and they’ve made synthetic casts to keep his hands in the right position so he doesn’t hurt the tendons‚” he said.

The child's mother expressed her gratitude to her 19-year-old son who managed to stop the bleeding while waiting for help. She said he will always be their ''hero''.

She hopes that their lives can return to normal now that the boy is “progressing well” and is grateful to her family‚ neighbours and community for all the support they have received.

“It’s incredible how much people care‚” she said.

The court ruled that Salie should undergo psychiatric evaluation‚ following the indications in a letter from the defence that he displayed signs of psychosis.

Salie struck a despondent figure in the dock. He bowed his head and fidgeted nervously during proceedings. He also appeared disinterested in the submissions made by his attorney‚ Sizwe Cele‚ in court.

Magistrate Shaun Lee ruled that it was the “obligation of the court” to obtain psychological evaluation of Salie before the case should proceed‚

Cele said there ''is doubt to [Salie's] mental capacity'' and said the 31-year-old ''did not know why he was in court''.

Cecile van Rensberg‚ Goodwood Ward Councilor‚ expressed her shock at the incident‚ insisting “no child should experience violence of any kind”.

“Such a traumatic experience also has psychological consequences not only for the victim but also those for who witnessed the incident as well as family members.”

She encouraged the community to show its support against violent crime‚ adding that the community is “very angry and want to understand why and how''. She urged residents to give police time to do their work.

The trial will resume on August 15‚ and Salie will remain in custody.

- TimesLIVE

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