A ROMA man who allegedly murdered a six-year-old son of a neighbour by repeatedly stabbing him with a sharp object is expected to reappear in the Maseru Magistrate’s Court on October 24 for remand.
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Oct. 17, 2023
STAFF REPORTER
2 min read
Man arrested for fatally stabbing boy, 6
The Maseru Magistrate's Court
Story highlights
Young victim strangled before he was knifed several times
Police still trying to establish the reason behind the bizarre murder
Police are still trying to determine why Arabang Lebetha, of Hata Butle, allegedly strangled the young boy before stabbing him to death several times using an unidentified sharp instrument.
Lebetha, 33, who was arrested after the boy’s body was discovered by other children a few days after he disappeared, briefly appeared in court this week and was charged with murder.
He was remanded in custody.
It is alleged that on September 26, the young victim, who is a twin, was playing with his friends in the village when Lebetha invited him to his home, promising to share some cooked meat with him.
According to police reports, the victim was last seen alive going into Lebetha’s house.
After the other children realised that their friend had disappeared, they are alleged to have alerted the rest of the community, and a manhunt was mounted for him.
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The search continued right into the night, and the next morning, when the boy could still not be found, his parents reported his disappearance to the Roma police, who opened a missing person case and also started searching for him.
The next day, in the afternoon, the victim’s friends found his body next to where they were playing on the periphery of the village.
The body, according to the police, had signs of strangling and several stab wounds.
Police investigations that ensued led to the eventual apprehension of Lebetha.
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