A 12-year-old girl in Eswatini's Lubombo region was found hanging from a tree, sparking concerns about children's safety within family environments. The girl had been reported missing after failing to return home from school on Wednesday. Her body was discovered by police officers and community members who had joined the search. The identities of the deceased and her family are being withheld pending the conclusion of police investigations.
The girl's aunt, who played a significant role in raising and providing for her, said the family was struggling to comprehend how a child they had watched grow up could meet such a tragic end. The aunt received a telephone call from her brother, the girl's father, at approximately 8 pm on Wednesday, informing her that the child had not returned home from school. The aunt advised her brother to visit the school and establish whether the pupil had attended classes and what might have happened after she left.
The aunt alleged that her brother had made comments about four months earlier, suggesting that the child would not sit for her examinations. These remarks became particularly troubling after the child's death. The aunt further alleged that a community member had revealed that the father asked him not to disclose having seen him with the child. According to information, the father had met the girl along her route from school and told her that he had come to fetch her.
Some of the girl's schoolmates reportedly saw her with her father, with the girl telling them that her father was calling her. The police then took the father in for questioning, and he is currently in police custody. The aunt also said the family had been informed that the child was sexually assaulted before her death, although this allegation has not been independently established.
Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Senior Superintendent Phindile Zwane confirmed that a 12-year-old girl had been found hanging dead in a tree. She said the incident had initially been reported as a suicide, although the possibility of murder had not been ruled out. Zwane stated that police are still investigating the circumstances of the death.
The tragedy has renewed concerns about children's safety within family environments, particularly where those expected to provide protection may themselves be implicated in allegations of violence. According to the Swatini Action Group Against Abuse (SWAGAA), 711 validated gender-based violence cases were recorded between April and September 2025, with 72% of survivors being female and children and adolescents below the age of 18 accounting for 28% of reported cases.
The Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) reported 4,700 GBV cases between April 2024 and January 2025, representing an 8% increase compared with 2023. The United Nations' 2025 Common Country Analysis for Eswatini reported that 8.1% of girls aged between 13 and 24 had experienced sexual violence, while 7% of women aged 15 to 49 reported experiencing sexual violence since the age of 15.
Key points
- The girl's family is seeking assistance to give her a dignified send-off.
- The incident has raised concerns about children's safety within family environments.
- Police are still investigating the circumstances of the girl's death.
