Mystery has deepened over the alleged kidnapping of an 18-month-old toddler, supposedly by his nanny, last month from a Dorchester Heights home.
In the latest twist to the saga, a couple claiming to be the legitimate parents of the child reported missing to police have come forward, saying the child was never missing.
According to the couple, who claimed to be in the Free State, they first heard about the alleged missing child through social media.
Intrigued by the child’s name and age, identical to their own son, the man said he was shocked to find his son’s face looking at him from the picture.
The couple are not being named to protect the child’s identity.
“I found out about my son’s alleged kidnapping via Facebook, and I was shocked,” the angry father said.
“My child has not been missing. He has been with us since the date he was supposed to have gone missing and now I want to take action against everyone who was involved in this.”
The man said he has since contacted the police.
The toddler’s plight first made headlines on August 10 when the Daily Dispatch reported about his alleged kidnapping by his nanny, who was said to be holding him hostage after her employer allegedly failed to pay her R1500 monthly salary.
A case of kidnapping had been opened at the Beacon Bay police station, with the investigation soon taken over by the Hawks.
Asked to comment on the latest revelation, both SAPS spokeswoman Warrant Officer Hazel Mqala and Hawks spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi declined.
Mulaudzi said they were still investigating the case.
The East London resident who had initially claimed to be the boy’s father still insists the child is his.
“Please stop writing this story now because it looks like the child has been found. It seems that his mother took him and not the nanny, as I initially thought,” he pleaded with the Dispatch.
Speaking on record, the East London man admitted to having forcefully removed the child from his mother when he was four months old, saying the latest drama was revenge.
He identified the Free State man’s wife as the child’s mother.
However, she said she did not know him.
“I have never met that man in my life. I don’t know who he is.
“I think they might have used a wrong photo for the missing child because that child in the photo that was posted is my son, and he is not missing,” the woman said.
As proof, the couple sent a number of pictures to the Dispatch depicting themselves with the boy in various settings.
One picture was used by police and Missing Children South Africa, who put out a poster of the missing child.
The couple have since contacted the NGO to remove it.
Missing Children South Africa’s Michelle Knowles confirmed this.
“What we have done is take the poster down until we have a little more information on the matter from the police, or the parents tell us to put it back up,” she said. — zisandan@dispatch.co.za/ mamelag@dispatch.co.za
Shock twist to kidnapping claim
In the latest twist to the saga, a couple claiming to be the legitimate parents of the child reported missing to police have come forward, saying the child was never missing.
According to the couple, who claimed to be in the Free State, they first heard about the alleged missing child through social media.
Intrigued by the child’s name and age, identical to their own son, the man said he was shocked to find his son’s face looking at him from the picture.
The couple are not being named to protect the child’s identity.
“I found out about my son’s alleged kidnapping via Facebook, and I was shocked,” the angry father said.
“My child has not been missing. He has been with us since the date he was supposed to have gone missing and now I want to take action against everyone who was involved in this.”
The man said he has since contacted the police.
The toddler’s plight first made headlines on August 10 when the Daily Dispatch reported about his alleged kidnapping by his nanny, who was said to be holding him hostage after her employer allegedly failed to pay her R1500 monthly salary.
A case of kidnapping had been opened at the Beacon Bay police station, with the investigation soon taken over by the Hawks.
Asked to comment on the latest revelation, both SAPS spokeswoman Warrant Officer Hazel Mqala and Hawks spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi declined.
Mulaudzi said they were still investigating the case.
The East London resident who had initially claimed to be the boy’s father still insists the child is his.
“Please stop writing this story now because it looks like the child has been found. It seems that his mother took him and not the nanny, as I initially thought,” he pleaded with the Dispatch.
Speaking on record, the East London man admitted to having forcefully removed the child from his mother when he was four months old, saying the latest drama was revenge.
He identified the Free State man’s wife as the child’s mother.
However, she said she did not know him.
“I have never met that man in my life. I don’t know who he is.
“I think they might have used a wrong photo for the missing child because that child in the photo that was posted is my son, and he is not missing,” the woman said.
As proof, the couple sent a number of pictures to the Dispatch depicting themselves with the boy in various settings.
One picture was used by police and Missing Children South Africa, who put out a poster of the missing child.
The couple have since contacted the NGO to remove it.
Missing Children South Africa’s Michelle Knowles confirmed this.
“What we have done is take the poster down until we have a little more information on the matter from the police, or the parents tell us to put it back up,” she said. — zisandan@dispatch.co.za/ mamelag@dispatch.co.za
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