A five-year-old boy stabbed by his father in KwaZulu-Natal’s Umlazi suburb on Sunday night died in hospital shortly after midday on Monday, Umlazi police said.
The 40-year-old man told police he believed his son was ”an animal” and that he was defending himself when he attacked his son.
Police spokesperson Constable Lungile Jama said the boy died at the Prince Mshiyeni Hospital on Monday before the police were able to question him on the whereabouts of his mother.
The child received several stab wounds to the head, back and one leg. Part of his tongue and his ear were also cut. The child had head injuries and several of his teeth were knocked out after he was thrown against a wall or similar ”hard object”, said Jama.
The child was rushed to hospital but died early on Monday afternoon.
”The father claims he thought his son was a big animal … and he attempted to defend himself. He did not realise it was his son,” addedJama.
The suspect, say police, may need to be assessed by a psychiatrist.
The man is in police custody.
Police believe mother and child lived in Ezimbokodweni near KwaMakutha on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast. The father had apparently fetched his son a few days ago to stay with him for a while.
Police were initially planning to get permission for the child to leave the hospital premises for a short while so that he could take them to his home.
”Now that the child is gone, we are planning to get the suspect to direct police to the mother’s home,” said Jama.
”Police who attended the scene are all traumatised. This was an extremely sad case and many of them were in tears,” she said.
It was not immediately clear when the father would appear in court. – Sapa