The parents of three-year-old Olivia van Voeght have been arrested for child neglect, after she was found dead.
|||Cape Town - The parents of three-year-old Olivia van Voeght have been arrested for child neglect, Western Cape police said on Thursday.
Col Thembinkosi Kinana told Eyewitness News that Olivia's parents were arrested after they were taken in for questioning following her death.
She disappeared on Tuesday after her mother left her at home for two hours.
He said the arrests were made on suspicion of neglect.
Western Cape social development MEC Albert Fritz said he was saddened, and at the same time angered, by the discovery of Olivia's body.
“... saddened by her untimely and unnecessary death and angered by the fact that there now seems to be an alleged situation of child neglect,” he said.
He said he learned that police had arrested the parents on allegations of child neglect. Fritz said he assigned social workers to the matter.
“Too often children fall prey to criminals in our society, because the very people who must love, care for and protect them, have abandoned their responsibilities,” said Fritz.
He promised to investigate the full circumstances around her death and would co-operate with police and the department of justice to ensure that, if found guilty, the parents and perpetrators were brought to book.
“Let this be a lesson to all parents. The safety and protection of your child is firstly your responsibility and parents whose negligence places their children's lives in danger, will have to face the full force of the law,” he said.
Sapa
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