Body of newborn baby allegedly set alight found in Dysellsdorp veld

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT 

The community of Dysellsdorp near Oudtshoorn in the Little Karoo, Western Cape, is in shock after the body of what’s believed to be a newborn baby was allegedly set alight in a veld.

Police say the child’s body was found burnt in a black bag and an inquest has been opened.

Community members have been urged to come forward if they have any information.

Leon Campher from the Oudtshoorn Community Against Crime group says two children allegedly saw a man dropping the packet and setting it alight.

He says whoever is responsible for this atrocity should be arrested.

“When they came there, they realised it’s the body of a child inside the bag. Since then, Dysellsdorp has been following up on what’s happening, meaning that there was someone giving birth and someone set that child alight. I’m actually speechless about what’s happening here. As a community leader and a person always fighting crime, we going to see if we can’t get to the bottom of this. We’re going to have an awareness campaign in the week just to make our children or our women aware of what the consequences of this can be.”