Gauteng police are hunting for suspects following the brutal death of 11-year-old Jayden-Lee Meek whose body was found just metres from his home.
Jayden-Lee from Fleurhof in Roodepoort, Johannesburg, was dropped off by his school transport at the complex where he lives.
According to his mother, who works from home, her son never made it home.
Provincial police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo said Jayden-Lee’s mother panicked when her son did not enter through the door.
“The mother called neighbours, and they started searching. They notified community leaders, and at 6:40pm, they went to the police station. Our members responded and started searching alongside community members. Early in the morning, a resident walking out of her flat at about 6.25am saw the child not lying far from the flat where he resided,” Masondo said.
The young boy’s body was found on the steps of the second-floor.
According to reports, his body was still warm and clean. He had no blood on him, but visible abrasions could be seen, indicating a possible assault.
When relatives were notified, Jayden-Lee was rushed to hospital, however, he was declared dead on arrival.
Police have urged the community to await the post-mortem report to get a definite cause of death.
“For now, we have opened an inquest. We have started with our investigation at our provincial offices, and we have assembled a team of seasoned detectives who will be taking over the investigation. As for now, we do not have any suspects,” Masondo said.
Masondo also emphasised that while the open investigation may only be an inquest at this stage, it could be changed to a murder docket as the investigation unravels.
“Once we have enough evidence that the child was murdered, we will change the investigation into a murder docket,” Masondo said.
@crangataj An update on the #missing person case of #jayden in #fleurhof that will probably turn out to be a murder investigation when the results of his postmoterm reteurns. An incredibly sad story. ##fyp #southafrica ♬ original sound – Cassiday Rangata-Jacobs
Lack of police assistance
Family members speaking to the media said they have struggled to get police to take this matter seriously and claimed the crime scene, where Jayden-Lee’s body was found, was not cordoned off and was contaminated with people walking around.
“The police don’t want to search the units. They don’t want to go door to door to check if there is evidence in one of the units. We have been fighting with them. They brought the K9 unit, they only went twice. We had to go ask for information, they don’t tell the family,” a relative said.
The family urged police to make an arrest and believed he could have been saved if police had searched on Tuesday night.
Illitha Labantu, a social service and education organisation that focuses on addressing violence against women and children, has condemned this incident in the strongest terms.
“Ilitha Labantu expresses its deep sorrow and outrage at the tragic death of 11-year-old Jayden-Lee Meek. As an organisation that has championed the rights and dignity of women and children for over 36 years, we condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the horrifying loss of yet another young life to senseless violence,” spokesperson Siyabulela Monakali said.
“This incident is not just a singular tragedy, it is a sobering reflection of the broader failure of our society to protect its children. The fact that a child could go missing in his own community, only to be later found dead within the very space meant to offer shelter and security, is deeply troubling. It begs urgent questions about community safety, the responsiveness of law enforcement, and the societal structures meant to safeguard children from harm,” Monakali said.
He said the anger expressed by Fleurhod residents was understandable and justified.
“Too often, communities are left to grapple with the aftermath of violence on their own, while the systemic failures that allow such tragedies to occur remain unaddressed. It is unacceptable that children continue to fall victim to violence in environments where they should be protected, nurtured, and allowed to thrive,” Monakali added.
