A two-year-old toddler who went missing from her home in Kirkwood and was later found in Knysna was safely returned to the small town on Wednesday afternoon.
The little girl arrived at the Kirkwood police station at 2pm with Detective Sergeant Mbulelo Grootboom, who drove her from Knysna.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Majola Nkhohli said the child had then been taken to hospital for further observation.
Nkohli said a social worker would be called in to assess the situation before the toddler could be returned to her family.
“Tomorrow [Thursday], a detective from the family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit and a social worker will take the child to Kirkwood to ensure that it is absolutely safe for her to be handed over to the family,” Nkohli said.
The toddler’s family last saw her on August 4 while she was playing outside her home.
She was found sleeping in a house in Rholihlahla Street, White Location, Knysna, on Tuesday morning after police received a tip-off.
A 21-year-old woman was arrested and is expected to appear in the Kirkwood Magistrate’s Court on Thursday on charges of kidnapping.
Knysna police spokesperson Sergeant Christopher Spies said authorities had become aware of the toddler’s whereabouts after pictures of a woman who was allegedly spotted with the missing girl was circulated on various social media platforms in the vicinity of Knysna on Monday.
“Members attached to the Tsitsikamma K9 unit responded to the information and embarked on an intensive search for the pair, first without any success,” he said.
“After receiving a tip-off, members pounced on a residence in Rolihlahla Street and carried out a search of the house.
“They then found the toddler asleep in one of the rooms,” Spies said.
The 21-year-old woman was also transferred to the Eastern Cape on Wednesday morning, where she will be charged with kidnapping.
Western Cape police commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile welcomed the arrest of the suspect and reaffirmed the commitment of the police to ensure that the rights of women and children were protected as they were among the most vulnerable in society.
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