Harrowing details emerge in the case of five-year-old Luvela Ngqono' murder
Noxolo Pearl Ngqono accused of killing her five-year old son.
Image: Tracy-Lynn Ruiters
Harrowing details surrounding the death of five-year-old Luvela Ngqono were revealed in the Western Cape High Court, sitting at the Wynberg Regional Court, as Acting Judge A Van Leeve delivered judgment.
The court heard that the fatal incident occurred just over a year after the child had been returned to the care of his biological parents.On the day of his death, the child’s stepfather, received a call from the accused, Noxolo Pearl Ngqono, informing him that he needed to return home.
She allegedly told him that she had assaulted the child, after which he went to sleep and did not wake up. Upon his arrival, he found the child lying in the bedroom. The court heard that he then took his youngest child to his sister’s home in Delft before proceeding to a police station to report the incident.
Post-mortem findings, read into the record, painted a grim picture of prolonged abuse. The examination revealed both fresh and healed scars on the child’s body, indicating repeated assaults over time.
The court heard that the child had sustained 28 contusions, with medical experts concluding that all the injuries were non-accidental. He also had defensive wounds, suggesting attempts to protect himself during the assault.
Van Leeve further detailed the severity of the injuries to the child’s skull, with medical reports describing them as being in a “crushed-like” state trauma more commonly associated with high-impact incidents such as car accidents.
Evidence before the court also indicated that the child had been beaten with a rod-like object. The cause of death was determined to be internal bleeding resulting from the extensive blunt force injuries.
Proceedings continue.