Mom’s worst nightmare as daughter’s body found in shallow grave

“What were her final words?”

That question now haunts a Motherwell mother trying to comprehend the motive behind the murder of her six-year-old daughter.

Little Abigail Prins’s body was discovered in a shallow grave at St George’s Beach on Friday.

The latest chilling incident comes amid a surge of killings in Nelson Mandela Bay in recent months.

A woman who was a close family member and her boyfriend, who were both arrested on Thursday in connection with the incident, had pointed out to police where the grave was located, the child’s mother, Joline Prins, alleged.

According to police, the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) arrested two suspects following an investigation.

Police spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana said detectives followed up on information regarding two people of interest believed to be in Makhanda.

“The information … [led] to the arrest of a 25-year-old female and a 31-year-old male,” Gantana said.

“The suspects were subsequently transported back to Gqeberha for further investigation.

“On Friday, the investigation led to the discovery of the body of a child in a shallow grave at St George’s Beach.”

Gantana said the suspects had been detained on charges of murder.

They are expected to appear in the Motherwell Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

At her home in NU29 on Friday, Prins said the woman who had been arrested was a close family member.

Prins’s cousin, Sisipho Gxamza, said the family had identified the body by the clothes Abigail was wearing, and that the grave was found after the suspects had allegedly pointed it out to the police.

Prins said their daughter went missing on March 22.

She said her four-year-old child told her that the family member had taken Abigail, saying she would return with her.

“They arrived at my home around 1pm on March 21, already drunk.

“We had a good time.

“I told them not to leave because it was late.

“We slept on the floor and the children slept in the bedroom.

“When I asked my daughter at 7am the following day where her sister was, she said she had left with [the family member].”

Prins then noticed that some of her daughter’s old clothes were missing.

Later that day, she realised something was wrong.

“Her father and I went to the area where [the family member] lives with a photo of our child and asked around if they had seen her.”

Eventually, they tracked down the family member’s address.

“When we arrived, we found the clothes that she had taken,” Prins said.

“They were on the washing line, and I thought that they were coming back.”

She said neighbours had seen her child earlier that day.

“They said they had seen the child, but that [the family member allegedly] told them it was her own and claimed she had asked me to raise her and had now taken her back.

“I was traumatised.

“I cried. I could not continue standing.

“My knees felt weak, I battled to breathe and I thought of a lot of things.

“We concluded that she had kidnapped our daughter, so we reported a case at the Motherwell police station.

“My heart is so painful, I cannot eat or sleep.

“I do not know what is going on in her mind.

“We have never argued.”

She said Abigail was a quiet child who loved playing, always wore a smile, adored people and was well-disciplined.

The child’s father, Joseph Maqaqa, who formally identified the body on Friday, said his daughter had wanted to be a lawyer when she grew up.

“She would say she did not like seeing people fighting among each other; even when her friends fought, she would cry,” Maqaqa said.

He said he could still not believe what had happened.

“It was not easy raising this child.

“She was a premature baby and she was in the hospital for three months.

“Through God’s help, we were able to raise her and we were blessed with a second child.”

Gxamza said police had told them the two suspects had been arrested in Makhanda.

“We did not know what the child was eating every day, or where she was sleeping.”

Eastern Cape police commissioner Lieutenant-General Vuyisile Ncata commended officers for their relentless efforts in ensuring that those allegedly responsible were brought to book.

“This is a deeply disturbing and heartbreaking case,” he said.

“The brutality inflicted on an innocent child has no place in our society.

“We commend our members for their dedication and persistence in ensuring that justice is served.

“We urge communities to continue working with the police and to report any information that may assist in investigations of this nature.”

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