POLICE have opened a case of murder and attempted murder following the death of three boys, aged six, 13 and 16, in Ratanda near Heidelberg on Thursday, 26 May.
Brigadier Brenda Muridili said the fourth child, a 10-year-old boy, was rushed to hospital.
She said the four were alleged to have consumed a poison-infused drink.
“Police were called to a secondary school and on arrival, found the 13- and 16-year-old boys already certified dead by paramedics. Then cops received information that two other boys from a nearby primary, aged six and 10, were rushed to a clinic after they fell ill,” Muridili said in a statement.
She added that the six-year-old was declared dead on arrival while the 10-year-old was in a serious condition.
“The police proceeded to the siblings’ home but on arrival, found their father unconscious. He was taken to hospital, under police guard, as it is alleged that he might be involved in their alleged poisoning,” Muridili said.
She said cops would await the postmortem results to determine the cause of death.
Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has since expressed his devastation at the tragic deaths, and was expected to visit both schools and the family on Friday, 27 May.
