A 19-year-old suspect has been taken in for questioning in connection with the death of Monneashia Prins of Eerste River.
Police have also confirmed that the 11-year old girl had been raped.
Her body was found in a canal near Ithemba Farms last Saturday, a day after she went missing.
Monneashia disappeared last Friday and was last seen wearing her grey school pants and a pink hoodie.
She was last seen near Ithemba Farms in the vicinity of Blue Downs and Eerste River.
When a child’s body was found the next day, her identity was unknown to the police and cops opened an inquest docket.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg says: “The victim was covered in mud and was declared deceased on the scene by medical personnel. A post-mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of death.”
He said a missing persons report for Monneashia was only filed last Sunday.
By Tuesday, police confirmed that the unidentified body found was that of the missing primary school learner.
Twigg says: “It was established that the body that was found was that of the child that was reported missing. The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.”
And yesterday, Twigg confirmed that a suspect had been taken into custody for the child’s murder. He also confirmed she had been raped.
He says: “We can confirm that a 19-year-old man was taken in for questioning regarding the murder, rape and kidnapping of the 11-year-old girl whose body was found in a canal last Saturday in Old Faure Road, Eerste River.
“He will appear in the Blue Downs Magistrate’s Court once he has been charged.”
robin-lee.francke@inl.co.za