Father suspected of poisoning son to avoid child maintenance
The estranged father of a toddler who died after eating yoghurt about four months ago has been identified as the main suspect and charged with murder.
29-year-old Emmanuel Lepotokisi of Old Naledi, Gaborone was arrested following a forensic report that stated the three-year-old boy’s cause of death as poisoning.
Police investigations began after the toddler’s mother, Boitumelo Mompati, 32, had contacted them with suspicions of foul play.
The child visited his father on the 30th of June and came back sick and later died.
“When the father returned the baby from his visitation, his grandmother noticed that he was not well. He was rushed to the hospital, observed by the doctor for a few hours and died,” said Old Naledi Station commander, Selabe.
The tragic incident happened after his baby mama had dragged Lepotokisi to court to seek financial support for their son.
The 29-year-old delinquent father had initially disputed paternity until a DNA test ordered by the court conclusively proved that he was indeed the father.
Mompati had also testified in court that she was 100 percent sure he was the father because she was a lesbian and had only slept with one man, being Lepotokisi.
On the 16th of August, 2018 the court ordered Lepotokisi to pay P350 per month from the 30th of August, 2018 as maintenance fee for his child until he attained the age of 18 or was self-supporting.
The accused, without reasonable excuse, failed or neglected to pay and remained in arrears.
He was subsequently convicted for failure to comply with a court directive and ordered to pay P350 per month towards child maintenance.
However, he defaulted and on the 18th of May this year, Magistrate Tshoganetso Atamelang sentenced Lepotokisi to six months imprisonment wholly suspended until July 31st, 2021 to settle the arrears.
He then asked to have the child come over to visit him in Old Naledi only to return him sick to death.