A raging domestic dispute in Musina ended in tragedy when an innocent 11-month-old baby boy became an unintended victim, after he was mistakenly stabbed to death by his 57-year-old father with a knife.

This was after he was caught in the crossfire when the suspect, his father, had missed his target, the wife. The baby was strapped to its mother’s back.

Musina SAPS spokesperson Capt Sydney Ringane said the incident occurred on Saturday, July 18, at around 17:25 at Nancefield Hostels in the border town.

“The suspect had a dispute with his 25-year-old wife, which eventually degenerated into fight and, during the scuffle, the suspect pulled out a knife so that he could stab his wife. She ducked, however, resulting in the knife subsequently hitting the baby’s head,” he said.

Soon after the incident, the wife fled from the scene and headed to the local clinic with the victim, who was bleeding profusely. The baby sustained severe injuries and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the clinic.

Ringane said the body has since been taken to the local government mortuary. Local community members managed to apprehend the suspect, who was already feeing from the scene, and they then handed him over to the police.

The suspect is now expected to appear in court soon to face a murder charge.

Ringane warned community members against engaging in domestic violence, saying there was a need for them to seek counselling first to resolve their disputes in an amicable manner. “We are worried about an increase in the number of domestic-violence-related cases in which lives are lost. We would like to urge people to desist from the culture of violence in the event of disputes. They should seek counseling from church leaders, police or social workers to avoid unnecessary loss of lives,” he said.