KwaZulu-Natal Teen Found Safe After Disappearing With 25-Year-Old Man, Story Sparks Debate Online
- Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) located a 13-year-old Chatsworth girl, a week after she was last seen by her mother
- The teenager was reportedly on the run with a 25-year-old man, who was a tenant at her mother's property
- South Africans reacted to the news, sharing mixed reactions about who was to blame in the entire situation
Source: Getty Images
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
KWAZULU-NATAL – A 13-year-old Chatsworth girl has been reunited with her family, a week after she was last seen, but her return has sparked mixed reactions online.
Tiara Leigh Sukram, a Grade 8 pupil, was reported missing by her mother on 2 December 2025. Her mother said that she discovered her daughter was missing when she woke up at approximately 6 am.
The teenager’s mother believed that she was with a 25-year-old man, who was a tenant at the family’s property, but the man initially denied that he knew where the girl was.
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The mother claimed that her daughter was in a relationship with the tenant, and despite her efforts to put a stop to it, they continued to sneak around. According to Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA), though, the mother of the teenager allowed the adult male tenant to share a bed with her minor daughter, which raises concerns about child protection laws.
Grade 8 pupil reunited with her family.
On 9 December 2025, members of RUSA confirmed that they had traced the teenager and reunited her with her family.
She was found after RUSA officers received leads that the teenager was on her way to a local clinic, as she believed she was pregnant. Officers located her in an Uber travelling in Phoenix and managed to stop the vehicle.
She was travelling with another female who was identified as the sister of the 25-year-old. She was taken to RUSA headquarters, where she was reunited with her family and where she met with the police officer investigating the case.
25-year-old tenant still on the run
RUSA also confirmed that the tenant was still on the run. He was also identified as the father of an 18-month-old baby. The 25-year-old was constantly on the move when he was with the teenager, and RUSA officers established that the couple were travelling between Phoenix and Chatsworth. They were also briefly traced to an informal settlement in Welbedact.
Source: Facebook
South Africans react to the latest update
The story sparked mixed reactions online, with social media users debating the roles of the mother, the teenager, and the tenant in the situation.
Ayathula Cele asked:
“Wait, did I read the sentence correctly? The mother allowed her daughter to share a bed with an adult male?”
Ray M Singh stated:
“Statutory rape.”
Lungile WaseMbo Mkhize said:
“I'm glad she was found alive, but I feel like her mother is to blame for all of this, and she's not telling the whole story.”
Andrea Azmira stated:
“I’m still stuck on the mom allowing the guy to share the bed with her minor daughter. I hope this child gets the guidance and care she deserves.”
Michelle Cronje Harmse claimed:
“You don’t get problem kids, you get problem parents.”
Shretha Rajnandan asked:
“Why would the mum allow them to share a bed in the first place?”
Shanell Harilall exclaimed:
“13 years old? At age 13, I was still making clothes for Barbie dolls.”
Lindani Lee Sikhakhane asked:
“Who was wrong here?? An adult guy or a 13-year-old girl? Or both?”
Other stories of teenagers who became pregnant
Briefly News reported that teen pregnancy remains a huge problem in the country, as numerous cases were reported.
- A 12-year-old girl became the country's latest teen mother after giving birth in the Eastern Cape on New Year's Day.
- South Africans expressed concern that 7,627 teenagers fell pregnant in Durban in 2024 and 2025.
- In October 2025, the KZN government revealed that more than 25,000 teenagers became pregnant, some of them younger than 14.
Source: Briefly News
