Baby's rape, murder recalled in court
2011-04-21
Lise Beyers
THE case of a man accused of raping and murdering an 18-month-old baby girl, is currently being heard in the Cape Supreme Court. The entire community was shocked two years ago when the news broke of the rape and murder of Laura-Lee Groenewaldt of Smartietown. In April 2009, Laura-Lee was taken to the TC Newman Hospital by Quinton Solomons (35), the live-in friend of her grandmother. He told nursing staff that she was ill due to an upset stomach. But nurses were shocked to find that the little girl was already dead. A post mortem showed that Laura-Lee had been raped and sodomised, and that she had most probably died from a severe head injury. It was also evident that she had on numerous occasions been raped. Solomons, in whose care Laura-Lee was left daily while her grandmother, Gertruida Groenwaldt (42) worked at an old-age home in Paarl, was arrested. Further investigation by the special investigation unit, the Hawks, led to the arrest of Groenewaldt as an accomplice to the murder. Groenewaldt and Solomons are both standing trial for murder and rape. They have pleaded not guilty to all charges. Police officers have been shocked as evidence has arisen of how neighbours in Glass Street had on numerous occasions heard the blood curdling cries of the baby whilst in Solomons’ care, but did not react or investigate.
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