The father of Chantel Crump, the nine-year-old girl whose body was found in bushes at Weatherills, has rejected claims that his daughter’s remains were mutilated.
Speaking shortly after attending her autopsy, Mr Crump said Chantel’s body was intact when he saw her and urged people to stop spreading misinformation.
“There were no wounds, nothing like that,” he said. “All I saw was sunburn. People are saying things that aren’t true. I saw my daughter—there was nothing dug out.”
Chantel, a student at Five Islands Primary School, was last seen alive in early March. According to her parents, she was picked up by a car less than a minute from their home on George Street. Her body was discovered days later following a police investigation that led to the arrest of a young woman, Angela Mejai.
Mr Crump, known locally as Papcho, said the pain of losing Chantal has changed his life irreversibly.
“It cannot be the same. Never,” he said. “But I will try to live stronger for the next one. She brought light to the house and everywhere she went.”
Chantal’s younger sister, Everetta, has been sent to live with an aunt as the family continues to struggle with the trauma.
“She’s not come to terms with it yet,” her mother explained. “We thought it best for her to be around other children for now.”
Chantal was born prematurely in 2015, weighing just one pound, but went on to thrive and bring joy to those around her.
The woman accused of her murder, Angela Mejai, remains in custody at His Majesty’s Prison. While former teachers have described her as a troubled student with a history of violence, prison staff have said she has been quiet and cooperative since her arrest.
An autopsy has been conducted, but the official results have not yet been released.
