Staff Reporter
A 16-year-old boy accused of stabbing a six-year-old girl at a school in Umhlali, KwaZulu-Natal, will return to the Child Justice Court on Friday for a bail application.
The teenager, who faces charges of attempted murder, housebreaking and trespassing, will remain at a youth facility until his next court appearance. The State has said that it will oppose bail.
The accused cannot be identified because he is a minor.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said that the teenager appeared in the KwaDukuza Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, following the attack a day earlier.
The incident occurred at a church-based educational facility, near Ballito.
As previously reported by Inside Education, the teenager allegedly entered the school through the rear of the property at about 8.15am on Tuesday, 13 October, before entering a classroom occupied by learners and an educator.
“It is alleged that the teenager entered a classroom occupied by learners and an educator, locked the door and stabbed six-year-old girl multiple times before attempting to flee the scene,” KZN police spokesperson Sergeant Thenjiswa NgcoboNgcobo said.
The child sustained serious stab wounds to her chest, abdomen and arm and was rushed to a specialist medical facility in Durban.
IPSS Medical Rescue paramedics treated the child at the scene before transporting her to hospital in a critical condition.
IPSS spokesperson Samantha Meyrick initially confirmed the severity of the girl’s injuries.
“The girl, who was stabbed multiple times, is in a critical condition and has been transported to a specialist facility under the care of IPSS Medical Rescue Advanced Life Support Paramedics,” Meyrick said.
Meyrick subsequently confirmed on Wednesday that the girl had undergone surgery and remained in intensive care. She is expected to make a full recovery. The family has requested privacy.
Inside Education previously reported that the teenager had been arrested for intimidation in April 2026 and was allegedly linked to a failed bombing attempt at Ballito Junction shopping centre in March.
He is believed to be a former pupil at the school, and was reportedly previously admitted to Town Hill Hospital, a specialised psychiatric facility in Pietermaritzburg, following the Ballito Junction incident.
According to earlier reports, he was also arrested in July after allegedly returning to the shopping centre, before being released following a court appearance.
The North Coast Courier has reported allegations that the teenager admired or was obsessed with the perpetrators of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre in Colorado, United States, in which two teenage gunmen killed 12 pupils and a teacher before taking their own lives.
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