The gruesome discovery of four frozen infant bodies resting among cakes, meat and vegetables in the house of a respected neighbour has horrified a tiny, close-knit Eastern Cape township.
Bernard Schultz Drive was full of police vehicles from the intelligence unit, Ngangelizwe police station and the flying squad. Police forensic investigators were inside the house taking pictures of the infants inside the refrigerators while other members were interviewing shocked locals.
Fatyela said: “Police first found an infant’s body wrapped in a garbage bag in a freezer in the family dining room.
“On further examination, they found two other frozen bodies of infants in another refrigerator in the kitchen where another black bag, compacted with ice, was found and is believed to have a fourth body.
“Inside the kitchen fridge were also normal goodies including cakes, mixed vegetables, meat and other things.”
Residents described the home occupants as a friendly, religious couple who liked children.
“Who are the mothers of these babies? Where do they come from and how did they land up in the refrigerator? What is the owner of the house doing with them?” asked community leader Danisile Bhutyumpha.
“How long have they been kept there? What about the health aspects of all this? For how long has this been going on.”
Neighbours shrank from being quoted or having their names published. They said they feared for their lives and those of their children.
“I have been staying here for more than 40 years and have never seen anything like this. People can be devils.
“I never imagined something like this could happen in this small, close community. I am now scared. This is a very gory scenario,” said a grandmother who decline to give her name.
Bhutyumpha was convening a community meeting yesterday.
King, who said she had cleaned the house dozens of times and had not noticed anything odd, said she had not eaten or slept since the find.
Fatyela said: “We don’t want to speculate, but we phoned the owners of the house and they are on their way back.”
He said police had opened an inquest docket. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
Dead babies found in fridge
Bernard Schultz Drive was full of police vehicles from the intelligence unit, Ngangelizwe police station and the flying squad. Police forensic investigators were inside the house taking pictures of the infants inside the refrigerators while other members were interviewing shocked locals.
Fatyela said: “Police first found an infant’s body wrapped in a garbage bag in a freezer in the family dining room.
“On further examination, they found two other frozen bodies of infants in another refrigerator in the kitchen where another black bag, compacted with ice, was found and is believed to have a fourth body.
“Inside the kitchen fridge were also normal goodies including cakes, mixed vegetables, meat and other things.”
Residents described the home occupants as a friendly, religious couple who liked children.
“Who are the mothers of these babies? Where do they come from and how did they land up in the refrigerator? What is the owner of the house doing with them?” asked community leader Danisile Bhutyumpha.
“How long have they been kept there? What about the health aspects of all this? For how long has this been going on.”
Neighbours shrank from being quoted or having their names published. They said they feared for their lives and those of their children.
“I have been staying here for more than 40 years and have never seen anything like this. People can be devils.
“I never imagined something like this could happen in this small, close community. I am now scared. This is a very gory scenario,” said a grandmother who decline to give her name.
Bhutyumpha was convening a community meeting yesterday.
King, who said she had cleaned the house dozens of times and had not noticed anything odd, said she had not eaten or slept since the find.
Fatyela said: “We don’t want to speculate, but we phoned the owners of the house and they are on their way back.”
He said police had opened an inquest docket. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
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