Cape Town - More than 500 days since 4-year-old Tamia Botha was murdered, a suspect has yet to be arrested and charged.
The girl went missing on September 25, 2022 and her body was found the following day in a bag on a school field near her home.
It is believed she was taken during load shedding.
Paarl East residents had searched for her using their cellphone lights but couldn’t find her.
A few days later, two men were arrested but when they were expected to appear in court, the case was not enrolled and they had to be released.
Since then, the police have not charged anyone for her murder.
The family had hope in March last year when they heard that suspects had been identified.
Councillor Leandre Matthee said: “We have been waiting on the DNA results, but the family has not been told anything. We are still waiting for the police to come and put Mia’s parents at ease.
“We are still waiting for the police; we don’t know what is going on. The parents want answers, but we keep hearing the same thing over and over … that they are going to come back to the family and that has not yet happened.
“The last time the family heard from the police was last year in March. We are all losing hope.”
Action Society’s Ian Cameron said they were asked by the family to look into the matter and he expressed his disappointment in the police.
“She was kidnapped, brutally murdered and dumped on a field near where she lived.
“It’s 500 days since the community was brought to a standstill and had to search for her with cellphone lights, because of hardly any reaction from the police. To this day, FCS (the child protection unit) has not given any feedback to the community or anyone regarding Mia’s murder.
“Despite the fact that the case was instructed to be prioritised by the district commander and, I’m told, by the station commander, nothing has happened,” Cameron added.
He said they had written to provincial commander Thembisile Patekile several times.
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said in March last year: “Kindly be advised that the case is in a sensitive stage and this office will not divulge any information regarding it.”