The child was taken to a hotel in Midrand by her mother Esther and her uncle, Mike, where they performed a ritual on her, sexually assaulting her and strangling her to death.
JOHANNESBURG – The Johannesburg High Court has handed two siblings three life sentences each for the rape and murder of a two-year-old girl.
Twenty-seven-year-old Esther Mwenda Brown and 25-year-old Mike made an appearance for sentencing after they were convicted of the rape and murder of Athalia Bambando in April last year.
The child was taken to a hotel in Midrand by her mother Esther and her uncle, Mike, where they performed a ritual on her, sexually assaulting her and strangling her to death.
BREAKING: The JHB high court has handed 2 siblings three life sentences each for the rape and murder of 2 year old Athalia Bombando. The child was raped & killed by her mother, Esther Mwenda Brown and her brother Mike Mwenda Brown in April 2021 at a hotel in Midrand @ewnreporter
It seems the mom and her brother believed the baby was demon possessed and said they took her to the hotel room to pray for her. They took oil from home and used that to make cross signs on shiny surfaces and the mirrors. @ewnreporter
In his sentencing, Judge Ismail pointed out how the injuries inflicted on Athalia during her rape would have permanently impaired her movement, scarring her for life.
During the trial, the court hard how the two-year-old was killed by torture in what was a ritual.
The court noted how her mother and uncle used oil to make crucifix signs on the mirrors of the hotel room that they killed her in.
The pair were convicted of two counts of rape each because of the assault inflicted both anally and vaginally on the child.
They were also handed one life sentence each for the brutal murder, something that Judge Ismail has likened to the extinguishing of a candle in the rain.
