WALVIS BAY – A 15-year-old pregnant girl has been in custody at the Tutaleni police station in Walvis Bay since Tuesday, following the stabbing death of a man she believed assaulted her boyfriend the night before.
The minor allegedly mistakenly stabbed Ritjwee Reeboke Soreseb, thinking he was the person who assaulted her boyfriend on Monday evening. The teen is currently being accommodated in an isolation room at the police station as she could not be locked up due to her circumstances.
According to the police report, the girl stabbed Soreseb in the upper chest with a knife, resulting in his death at the scene.
She claimed three suspects, including the now-diseased man, attacked her boyfriend and threatened to harm her unborn child.
“The suspects also threatened to cut her stomach open and remove her baby. As a result, the suspect allegedly kept a knife whenever she moved around,” reads the police statement.
Detective Chief Inspector John Mwatongwe told New Era the gender ministry was made aware of the case so they could offer the necessary support to the minor.
He added that the teen’s parents and the boyfriend were traced in Walvis Bay.
“The parents are aware of the pregnancy. The age of the boyfriend is also not known yet, but we located him. He is currently at the Walvis Bay State Hospital receiving treatment for the alleged attack,” Mwatongwe said.
He added that no reports regarding threats or attacks on the boyfriend had been filed with the police by any guardian of the minor or by the boyfriend.
“This is why we are saying this case is very complex. She still must appear in court, and a decision should be made regarding her release. We also need to investigate the aspect of her pregnancy and see if the alleged boyfriend would be charged with rape if he is indeed older than her, as our law stipulates that the age of consent… If they are all minors is also another issue,” he said. Asked yesterday for comment on the issue, gender minister Doreen Sioka indicated that they have not yet been briefed on it.
“Maybe our officials are still busy compiling a report,” she said.
– edeklerk@nepc.com.na