Pastor’s Wife Leads Police to Four-Month-Old’s Grave in Atteridgeville, South Africans Outraged
- The search for a pastor accused of rape and kidnapping is continuing after a brutal crime in Atteridgeville
- The pastor's wife, who was arrested, has since led police to the four-month-old baby that was taken
- South Africans took to social media to express outrage over the crime and called for action to be taken
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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 worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.
GAUTENG — A four-month-old baby, believed to have been kidnapped by a pastor and his wife in Atteridgeville, west of Pretoria, has been found dead.
The pastor's wife, who was arrested earlier on 7 October 2026, led investigators to a shallow grave where the infant was buried. The discovery was made following a police operation that involved a multidisciplinary team comprising Crime Scene Management, Search and Rescue, General Detectives, and Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) detectives, along with drone operators.
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How the baby went missing
According to police, the mother was allegedly lured to Atteridgeville, where she was reportedly raped, and her child was taken. The pastor and his wife fled with the baby thereafter.
The 24-year-old wife of the pastor was located and brought in for questioning. She subsequently directed investigators to the site where the baby had been buried in a shallow grave. The pastor remains at large, and a manhunt is under way.
South Africans react with outrage
The news sent shockwaves across social media, with many calling for harsher sentencing for those found guilty.
@Ta2edGangsta wrote:
"Death penalty."
@SiyandaMbovu said:
"This was planned by the couple. They deserve life in prison once found guilty."
@callingoutshxt questioned:
"The pastor's wife let this happen? Are women so desperate they'll do anything for men?"
@kabelo_kgeresi suggested:
"Rituals."
@Kaz4Me2Know wrote:
"This is beyond heartbreaking."
@yenzo_kuhl asked:
"What kind of evil people live amongst us?"
LyndaJane @LyndaJane8 added:
"What an evil couple."
Other stories about pastors being arrested
- A pastor from KwaZulu-Natal was allegedly arrested after paying lobola for 22 women and then defrauding them in the process.
- Televangelist pastor Timothy Omotoso was arrested on 10 May 2025 after the courts acquitted him of various charges.
- A pastor from Khayelitsha in the Western Cape was arrested after he was accused of raping three teen congregants.
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Source: Briefly News
