Her aunt Lebo Mokgako said the family was grateful for support from community members and the public, but was struggling to come to terms with her cruel death.
“We want to know why. We’re not coping because what happened is inhumane. How can you mutilate and kill a four-year-old? There are parts of her body we did not find. Her eyes are not there, hands cut, lower body separated, her left hand is missing. What kind of a sick animal does that?”
Her stepfather Johannes Sibiya said: “We don’t have a way forward. We are not coping.
“We want to put pressure [on her alleged killer] so her other parts are found and justice is done. How will we conduct a funeral with some parts of her missing?”
Vuyo Mbeki, a community leader from Wattville, said the crowd was at court to support Poo’s family.
“We’re here to find out what happened. It’s only the beginning but we plan to be here until the end. We want to see justice."
‘We want him to tell us where the other body parts are’, says Bokgabo Poo’s family as suspect appears
Image: Ziphozonke Lushaba/TimesLIVE
Protesters demanding justice for four-year-old Bokgabo Poo gathered outside the Benoni magistrate’s court on Monday before the appearance of a suspect arrested in connection with her kidnapping and murder.
The child from Wattville in Ekurhuleni was reported missing last Monday.
Police were joined by community members to search for the man who was last seen with her.
Her aunt Lebo Mokgako said the family was grateful for support from community members and the public, but was struggling to come to terms with her cruel death.
“We want to know why. We’re not coping because what happened is inhumane. How can you mutilate and kill a four-year-old? There are parts of her body we did not find. Her eyes are not there, hands cut, lower body separated, her left hand is missing. What kind of a sick animal does that?”
Her stepfather Johannes Sibiya said: “We don’t have a way forward. We are not coping.
“We want to put pressure [on her alleged killer] so her other parts are found and justice is done. How will we conduct a funeral with some parts of her missing?”
Vuyo Mbeki, a community leader from Wattville, said the crowd was at court to support Poo’s family.
“We’re here to find out what happened. It’s only the beginning but we plan to be here until the end. We want to see justice."
On Tuesday, her mutilated body was found. DNA tests were ordered, and her family identified her from a missing tooth and a birthmark on her chest.
He said when they heard she was missing on Monday, they activated searches with members of the community policing forum and community patrollers.
“The following day we discovered a leg. Two hours later we discovered half a body of the child. That in itself is disturbing because we couldn’t identify her immediately. Her body seemed like it was poured with acid, especially on the head,” Mbeki said.
“The trauma of not being able to identify the child is a pain for all of us. Only her mother could identify the child.”
The suspect, 30, was arrested on Friday in Boksburg. He was seen in CCTV footage walking alongside Bokgabo on the day she disappeared.
TimesLIVE
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