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PE street kids up for murder
06/10/2006 20:29 - (SA)
Port Elizabeth - Four street children were denied bail after appearing in a Port Elizabeth court on murder charges on Friday, said police.
Superintendent Johann van Greunen said the three girls were sent to the St Albans prison and the boy was taken to the North End prison after their appearance at the new law court.
The four, aged between 13 and 14, were arrested after 52-year-old Quinton Boutell was stabbed to death in Newton Park on Wednesday.
He was also robbed of a cellphone, a wallet and a pair of shoes.
Boutell, a prominent former jockey, and his girlfriend were walking home from a local pub in Newton Park when the four children approached them.
Boutell was stabbed in the chest and fell through the window of a shop after being pushed. He died instantly.
Murder raises concerns over violence
The State will provide legal aid to the children while police search for their parents.
The Herald online reported that the murder raised concerns about increasing violence displayed by street children in the area.
A police officer, Gerald Kota, involved in the rehabilitation of street children said that street children are becoming entangled with "drug lords" who use them to break into homes and even encourage them to kill.
- SAPA
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