Home crime Police dismiss social media claims that member of Brand family was mutilated,...

Police dismiss social media claims that member of Brand family was mutilated, raped

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Police said the statement indicated that “one of the victim’s eyes were removed, her breasts cut off and that she was repeatedly raped”.

File image. Picture: Supplied

The police have dismissed claims on social media that a member of the Brand family was mutlilated and repeatedly raped.

Other reports suggested that the family were beaten to death.

The elderly couple and their 54 year old daughter from Johannesburg who is believed to have been visiting her parents at the time of the incident were attacked, robbed and abducted from their farm in Magogong near Hartswater on July 26.

Their bodies were recovered in the veld near Takaneng village near Taung on July 28.

Five accused appeared in the Hartswater Magistrate’s Court on Thursday on three charges of murder, kidnapping and robbery.

Management of the South African Police Service in the Northern Cape on Sunday noted with serious concern a statement posted on social media about the gruesome murders in Hartswater.

Brigadier Mohale Ramatseba said the statement indicated that “one of the victim’s eyes were removed, her breasts cut off and that she was repeatedly raped”.

“This is not true in terms of the postmortem results conducted.”

He said the five accused, Khomotso Mpumlwana, 43, Tshepo Visagie, 36, Tshepo Seolesang, 20, Tshepaone Melato, 19 and Realeboga Manyedi, 18 would reappear in court on August 13.

“The Northern Cape trio crime task team is investigating the case.”

Ramatseba made an urgent plea to the public to refrain from misinforming the community. “Such tendencies further traumatise the affected families and the community.”

The MEC for Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Affairs, Mase Manopole, visited the bereaved family of Danie Brand 83, his wife Breggie, 73 and daughter Elzabie, 54, in Hartswater on Friday.

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