Saturday, December 9, 2023

Murder of woman by son shocks Broadhurst

Police in Broadhurst are investigating a case in which a middle-aged man suspected to be a drug addict  murdered his mother over money.

The suspect is expected to be arraigned before the magistrate court sometime this week.

The 64 year old Tonota woman was allegedly murdered by her 28 year old son believed to be a drug addict on Sunday evening at Broadhurst location.

 Details surrounding the circumstances that led to the murder are still sketchy.

It is reported that upon the woman’s arrival her son locked her up in the house and started stabbing her all over her body with a sharp instrument believed to be a knife. A crowd consisting of neighbours that heard the woman wailing gathered by the yard but they did not have access to the locked house.

Eye witnesses told how the son who looked indifferent later opened the door and declared to the crowd that “I have killed her and she is dead in the house.”     

Police spokesperson Near Bagali confirmed in an interview that they were investigating the case.

He said though the matter is still fresh preliminary investigations suggest that the suspect attacked and stabbed the deceased with a sharp instrument on her neck suspected to be a knife.

Bagali said the deceased was rushed to extension 2 clinic where she was certified dead by the medical doctor upon arrival.  

He stated that at the moment the police have not yet established the motive behind her killing.

Bagali said the suspect is expected to appear before the magistrate court sometime this week charged with murder.

“I am not at liberty to suggest whether the suspect might have been influenced by drugs or not because that might somehow compromise the outcome of the investigations,”    the Police spokesperson said.

He added that “As the police we are very much concerned about increasing cases in which children kill their parents and we have not yet established why children murder their own parents.”

Bagali said there is need to conduct a thorough study that will “explain why our children kill their parents.”

“At the moment the police have not yet done any study regarding the matter,” he said    

 Contacted for comment a counsellor at the University of Botswana Wilfred Chilunga said “it is very worrying when children take away the lives of their parents.”

He said factors that lead to children killing their own parents include watching violent movies, drugs and peer pressure.

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