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Cape Town - A Mossel Boy toddler is in hospital after her father allegedly beat her with a belt, Western Cape police said on Wednesday.
“There are also burn wounds on her left shoulder, neck and lower back,” Captain Bernadine Steyn told News24, adding that the cause of these wounds formed part of their investigation.
The 2-year-old was playing in the street in Brandwag, near Mossel Bay, on Friday, when her 21-year-old father took her to his home.
Steyn said the child left the home to walk to her 19-year-old mother’s house, but he took her back to his residence where he allegedly assaulted her with the belt.
The next day, both parents and their daughter were at his house.
“It is alleged that the father assaulted the girl with a belt again because she did not want to speak to him. When the mother tried to intervene, she was assaulted with the belt on her face.”
The toddler was in a stable condition at a local hospital.
Police arrested the father on Sunday afternoon and charged him with common assault (for the mother) and assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm (for the child).
The father was due to appear in the Mossel Bay Magistrate’s Court later on Wednesday.
The incident comes days after a Cape Town man appeared in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court for allegedly beating his 2-year-old daughter for six hours. She died from her injuries.
Christopher Williams, 32, allegedly assaulted his wife and locked her in a room, before beating the girl.
He was charged with murder and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
