Call centre agent used chocolate to lure girl (7) into his home

A CALL centre agent, accused of raping and killing a 7-year-old girl in Waterloo, outside Verulam, a year ago, allegedly lured her into his home by promising her chocolate.

This is what is alleged in the five-page indictment handed in at the Durban High Court.

The man, 27, who cannot be named until be pleads because he faces charges of rape, made his first appearance in the Durban High Court on Monday.

In addition to the rape charge, the accused faces a charge of murder.

The Grade 2 pupil, who lived with her grandmother, 60, was stabbed and found naked in a passage outside their home on July 28, 2018. She was taken to Addington Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries the next day. The accused has been in police custody since his arrest a few days later, and is an awaiting trial prisoner at Westville Prison.

During his bail application in September, which was unsuccessful, the accused maintained his innocence.

He told the court he was willing to undergo fingerprint and DNA tests to prove this.

The matter was set down for a pretrial conference on Monday but had to be adjourned for the accused to consult his legal aid attorney.

According to the indictments, the accused was the victim’s neighbour and he often sent the child to the shop to buy him items.

On July 28, the accused sent her to buy cigarettes.

It is alleged that when she returned with the cigarettes, he promised her a chocolate to entice her to enter the house in Hammonds Farm.

When the deceased entered the home, the accused allegedly raped and stabbed her before dragging her body outside and leaving her for dead.

The post mortem results revealed that the cause of death was “a penetrating wound to the chest”.

The State is expected to call 17 witnesses.

During the accused’s bail application, the court heard that he lived with his common-law wife and stepdaughter, 9, in Waterloo.

He claimed he was a religious man and regularly attended church in Phoenix.

On the day in question, the accused claimed he visited the Waterloo Spar to buy dinner for his wife.

He said when he returned, he found the kitchen door open.

He said a group of people approached him and began shouting at him in isiZulu.

The accused said he subsequently called the police to report that his home was broken into, but when the police arrived, they assaulted him.