Body of missing girl found
2003-07-14 16:09
Cape Town - The body of an eight-year-old girl who vanished from her grandparents' home in Ottery near Cape Town on July 6 was found a few kilometres away on a field in Pelican Heights, near Strandfontein, on Monday.
Police spokeswoman Superintendent Nina Kirsten said the body of Sasha-Leigh Crook was found by members of a neighbourhood watch search party shortly before 09:00.
The girl was identified by her mother, Michelle Crook, at the Salt River mortuary on Monday.
Kirsten said a post-mortem was being conducted to determine the cause of death.
She said it appeared attempts had been made to hide the identity of the little girl.
When found the girl was fully clothed and lying on her right side. The skin on parts of the left side of her face appeared to have been stripped away and it appeared she had a gash near her throat.
Kirsten said only a post-mortem would reveal whether Sasha-Leigh had been sexually molested.
- SAPA