BLOEMFONTEIN – The police in Bloemspruit are investigating a case of culpable homicide after a two-year-old boy was fatally attacked by a dog in Lakeview Plots on Sunday 22 February. No arrests have been made at this stage.
The victim has been identified as Kabelo Lion, whose parents are neighbours to the owner of the killer dog.
Sgt. Mahlomola Kareli, provincial spokesperson for the Free State police, said the tragic incident occurred during the day, at approximately 11:00. He said according to information received, the child was walking with his 31-year-old mother when the dog attacked.
Kareli said, according to preliminary reports, the dog (identified as a Boerboel) escaped from a neighbouring property. “The animal reportedly navigated through a gap in a fence into an adjacent yard, before exiting through a gate to reach the victims on the street. The dog inflicted severe bite wounds to the right side and middle of the child’s head,” said Kareli.
He said the dog also attacked the mother who desperately attempted to save her son’s life. “The mother intervened, the dog briefly turned on her, biting her on the left arm, before returning to continue its assault on the child,” said Kareli.
He said the dog stopped when a passing child threw a stone at it, causing it to flee the scene. “A Good Samaritan rushed both the child and his mother to the hospital, but the two-year-old boy succumbed to his injuries and was certified dead on arrival,” said Kareli.
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