A mother and uncle were sentenced to life in prison for the “ritual murder” of a toddler and for raping the child at a Midrand hotel.
Athalia Bombando, age 2, was raped and then murdered in a hotel room in Waterfall, Midrand. On Wednesday, the JHB high court sentenced a woman and brother to life in prison for the crime of murdering Athalia Bombando, Times Live reports.
It is believed that Mike Mwenda Brown and his sister Esther Mwenda Brown murdered their niece’s daughter as part of a satanic rite, and both of them were sentenced to life in prison for their roles in the crime.
On April 10 2021, staff members at the hotel discovered her lifeless body just minutes before midnight. The siblings, who had been living in Bryanston, moved into the hotel room early that morning. A child of one year old who was also present in the room with them was saved.
David Bombando, Athalia’s father, expressed his satisfaction with the judge’s decision to sentence his daughter.
“We were successful in obtaining some of the answers. At least now we have an explanation for what took place in that room, and I can say that I agree with the decision that the judge made “he said.
The prosecutor, Paul Nel, had argued before the court that the siblings should be given a sentence of life in prison for each count of rape in addition to the murder charge.
The defense attorney, Nel, had argued that the rape and murder were premeditated acts that were carried out as part of a ritual. He went on to say that the most aggravating factor was that these acts were perpetrated by the deceased person’s own mother and uncle, whom the deceased person trusted and looked to for protection.
He said this was the most aggravating factor. In addition to this, he urged the judge to take into account the defendants’ behavior throughout the trial, alleging that they did not demonstrate any sign of regret for their actions.
Upon delivering judgment, the judge Mohamed Ismail concurred, stating that the two acted without remorse when they violated the tender body of an innocent child, and then went on to take her life in a heinous way afterward.
According to what he said, “the child died an agonizing death at the hands of people she knew and loved.”
READ MORE: Missing KZN boy’s body parts, sold to buyers in Mozambique
He went on to say that the court was never able to determine the motive for Bombando’s murder because the two individuals did not present their side of the story in court, which was a clear indication that they did not feel accountable for their actions or remorse for their actions.