Police have arrested a suspect for the murder of a 10-year-old girl whose body was found floating in a river in Macassar earlier this month.
The community of Macassar has now been encouraged to sign a petition as Denecke Presence’s alleged murderer made his first court appearance on Wednesday.
The petition calls for the suspect to remain behind bars as he appears in the Somerset Magistrate’s Court for a bail application.
The little girl was last seen by her family on 11 March at around 8pm.
The Daily Voice previously reported that Denecke was found by family friend John van Ross, 36, floating in the Marvin Park river.
At the time, police indicated that two men aged 51 and 39 were taken in for questioning.
However, police spokesperson FC Van Wyk confirmed they were let go and that a suspect had been arrested on Monday.
“Be advised that a 55-year-old man was arrested on a charge of murder and kidnapping. He is due to appear in the Somerset Magistrate’s Court today on the mentioned charges.”
Macassar resident Auriel September tells the Daily Voice that the purpose of the petition is for the court to understand that the accused should not be granted bail.
“He must go to Pollsmoor and he must face whatever he has to face there. We do not want him on our streets,” she explained.
She says that the community is determined that the alleged killer’s bail is denied.
“That is why we are doing the petition, as a human being and as a person who has to look out for everybody’s rights.
“If he is going to get bail he is going to get hurt on the streets. The community has already made a lot of noise about if he is released; somebody is going to do something stupid.”
Residents came out in their numbers to support the family of little Deneceke as she was laid to rest on Sunday.
byron.lukas@inl.co.za