Killer raped six-year-old 'before and after death'

Accused Hamza, a neighbour of victim, confesses to brutal murder, says child used to call him 'uncle'

KARACHI:

He called him uncle. He followed him trustingly. He let him buy him sweets.

And in that trust, Hamza found his opening - during the chaos of a funeral, he took the six-year-old to his flat, raped him, strangled the life out of him, and then, unspeakably, violated his tiny lifeless body all over again.

The sickening confession, delivered coldly during interrogation, has left investigators reeling and a neighbourhood shattered. The perpetrator of this unfathomable depravity was a neighbour of the victim, Muhammad Wali, in the Punjabi Galli area of Lea Market. The accused Hamza was produced before a court on Thursday where judicial magistrate remanded him to police custody for five days. The court has sought a progress report from investigating officer (IO) for the next hearing.

According to police investigators, six-year-old Wali called Hamza "uncle" and would often ask him to buy him treats from shops in the neighbourhood market. The two shared a familiar bond that would prove fatal for the young child.

On last Thursday, a resident of the street passed away, and most neighbours had gathered to attend the funeral. Seizing the opportunity, Hamza lured the child to his flat located on the third floor of the building where he committed the sickening crime.

During interrogation, the accused confessed to the heinous crime in graphic detail. He admitted to sexually assaulting the child, and when the boy began to cry and scream, he subjected him to physical violence and subsequently strangled him to death. The killer further revealed that he sexually assaulted Wali's body after the murder as well.

When questioned about his motive, the accused stated that he killed Wali because he could identify him and would have exposed his identity.

After the murder, the accused stuffed the body into a sack, wrapped it in a blanket, and hid it inside a wardrobe in his flat. What followed was a series of events that would test the limits of investigative diligence.

Following Wali's disappearance, police conducted three separate searches of Hamza's flat, but the body remained undiscovered each time. The accused grew increasingly frightened as local residents' suspicions regarding him intensified.

In a calculated move to dispel any doubts, Hamza pretended to join Wali's family in searching for the missing child, actively participating in the neighbourhood's frantic efforts to locate the boy.

CCTV footage obtained by police investigators revealed that the child had not left the area, which further heightened their suspicion of street residents. Eventually, out of fear that the body would be discovered in his flat, Hamza threw the sack containing Wali's remains from his third-floor window, an act witnessed by some local residents.

The body was recovered two days after the child went missing on Monday evening, stuffed in a sack and found near the house in the Napier area.

Police Surgeon Dr Samia Syed conducted the post-mortem examination and confirmed that the child had been sexually assaulted. The autopsy revealed fractures on the victim's skull and marks on his neck. The body had decomposed and was in an advanced state of putrefaction, indicating it had been concealed for some time.

Samples have been taken regarding the sexual abuse, and organs have been preserved for chemical analysis to definitively determine the cause of death. Confirmation of sexual assault and the precise cause of death will be established based on the chemical examination report.

During interrogation, the accused claimed that other individuals were also involved in the crime. However, police have stated that Hamza is making false claims about the involvement of accomplices in an attempt to mislead the investigation.

The accused's father and other family members have been taken into protective custody as a precautionary measure, given that local residents remain extremely agitated and there are fears they might harm the family.

Police are also examining Hamza's prior criminal record and investigating the possibility of past instances of abuse or sexual assault involving other children. The investigation is ongoing, with further revelations expected in the coming days.

A case has been registered against the accused at the Napier police station.