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Nearly 10 months after the death of 13-year-old Retshepile Setso “Tshepi” Tshedu, questions continue to grow, emotions remain raw, and calls for justice are getting louder across social media.It began as a suicide case. However, post-mortem results confirmed that Tshepi had been sexually abused before her death. Despite this, no arrests have been made. Investigations continue.At the centre of the case is not only a child whose life ended, but also a family now divided, with some members demanding justice and others calling for silence.For relatives in Francistown, memories of Tshepi now carry a painful weight. They remember a child who often asked to come and stay with them during school holidays.Karabo Tshedu, a cousin to Tshepi’s mother, said these requests were frequent.“Tshepi used to want to come and stay with her grandmother in Francistown during the holidays. She always wanted us to speak to her mother so she could come,” she said.According to her, the answer from her mother was always the same; there was no money for transport. “The last time we saw her was in September last year, after her mother’s wedding,” she said.Looking back now, Karabo believes those requests were a sign that something was not right.“The signs were there. The fact that the child kept wanting to come already shows something was happening to her,” she said. “We noticed the problems, but it was too late.”She also made a serious claim that the child’s mother and grandmother are not supportive of efforts to seek justice.“The mother and the grandmother are the ones opposing the pursuit of justice for the child,” she said. “We cannot protect the family name by keeping this matter a secret.”She added that while some family members may choose silence, others will continue to speak out. “As for Tshepi, we have come to fight for her,” she said.Tshepi’s aunt, Onkemetse Tshedu, believes the tragedy did not end with the funeral. Instead, it marked the beginning of a painful journey that would eventually destroy her relationship with her own sister.After the funeral, she stayed in close contact with Tshepi’s mother, offering comfort and support.“I was very worried about her because losing a child cannot be easy, especially if it is said to be suicide,” she said. “I have children myself, so I can imagine the pain.”She tried her best to be there for her sister during that difficult time. “If I feel this much pain for Tshepy, what about her?” she asked.However, things began to change when her sister told her that the police had come and requested DNA from her husband. “She told me the police said her husband was the number one suspect,” Onkemetse said.She was shocked but advised her sister to cooperate. “I told her that if a child is abused in a home, the man in that house automatically becomes a suspect, so she should not be afraid,” she said.In the months that followed, Onkemetse tried to get updates about the case, especially the DNA results. But her questions were often ignored. “Sometimes she would respond briefly, and other times she would not respond at all,” she said.Her frustration grew as time passed without answers. “I just wanted whoever did this to be caught,” she said.On March 9 this year, Tshepi’s mother posted a birthday message for her late daughter on WhatsApp. For Onkemetse, it was a moment filled with emotion and unanswered questions.“I replied and asked her when the DNA results would come out,” she said. “I told her that the person responsible needs to be locked up. I just want closure.”She said her sister did not respond. The next day, she decided to speak out publicly. “I posted on my WhatsApp status saying all I want is justice for my niece. I asked people to pray for her,” she said.That decision changed everything. “My sister replied, telling me to remove the post. Then our mother also called me and told me to take it down,” she said.She said they were worried that people might take screenshots and share them on social media.“I asked my sister why she was only responding now, after I posted, when she had been ignoring me before,” she said. “She did not reply.”The situation quickly became tense. “They were very angry. My sister stopped talking to me and sent our mother to speak to me,” she said.Even after apologising and explaining that she only wanted justice for Tshepi, the relationship did not recover. “Our relationship just ended. It was like our sisterhood was over,” she said.Despite the breakdown in the family, Onkemetse could not stop asking questions. “I felt like something was not right”.She later contacted Tshepi’s biological father, who she said was relieved to hear from her and also wanted justice.However, confusion around the DNA results made matters worse. “Some people said the results were out and the husband was cleared, but when I asked the father, he said that was not true,” she said.As more relatives began speaking out, including one cousin who made a public post calling for justice, the issue began to attract attention from the public.But the response from the child’s maternal family was strong. “The grandmother said we should mind our own business and that Tshepi is not our child,” she said.She also described a moment that left her feeling afraid. “I heard that my sister said the police were looking for us and wanted our addresses, even asking where I work,” she said. “That made me scared for my life.”She said this did not seem like normal police procedure. “If the police want you, they call you to come to the station,” she said.She tried to respond calmly. “I even told her to give the police my number so they can contact me directly,” she said.Instead, she noted that her sister told her never to speak to her again and warned her not to mistake her silence for weakness. “I took that as a threat,” she said.Kemmy Mpinang, founder of Re A Bua Foundation and appointed by Tshepi’s father to speak on his behalf, said she became involved in the case on the day Tshepi died.According to the information given at the time, the incident followed a minor disagreement at home.“The child had refused to wash dishes the previous day. The next morning, she wanted her school shoes to attend study sessions,” she said. “The mother said she told her to wait, and then the child allegedly took her own life.”However, days later, the post-mortem told a different story. “The doctor revealed that there was evidence of sexual abuse,” Mpinang said.She said this shocked the father’s side of the family. But the concerns did not end there. Mpinang said there were problems during the post-mortem process.She said the child’s mother was not present but was influencing what was happening through phone calls. She also said a police officer who was known to the mother restricted the father’s access.“He was even denied the chance to sign documents as the parent,” she said.She also raised concerns about how forensic evidence was handled. “The samples were taken back to Sehithwa and stayed there for months,” she said. “This raises serious concerns about how the evidence was handled.”Mpinang also spoke about earlier concerns regarding Tshepi’s well-being. “She had expressed a desire to leave that home many times,” she said. “She told one aunt, ‘ntseye ke tle go belegela ngwana,’ which shows she was desperate to leave,” she said.Tshepi had also told her father she wanted to live with him after finishing Standard 7. He had already arranged a school for her in Gaborone.“He even sent money for her to buy a phone so they could communicate better,” Mpinang said. “But the phone was never bought.”These details, she said, suggest that Tshepi may not have been in a safe or supportive environment.Despite the seriousness of the case, there has been little progress. “There have been no meaningful updates from the police,” Mpinang said. “No arrests have been made.”She said the case appears to have been passed between officers without clear responsibility.In response, family members and supporters have launched a petition calling for justice.The petition has been sent to key authorities, including the Commissioner of Police, the Director of Public Prosecutions, and the Ministry of Justice.It raises concerns about delays, possible interference, and the handling of evidence. It also calls for an independent investigation and protection for those speaking out.The petition describes Tshepi as a child who deserved safety, protection, and a future.District No. 5 Commander Molefhe Patrick Molefhe confirmed that the case is still under investigation. He said the child died at home in Sehithwa and that a post-mortem confirmed sexual abuse.He also said DNA tests were conducted on people close to the child, including the stepfather and other children in the home, but none matched the evidence.He said the investigation will now be expanded. “So far we have not been successful, but we will widen the scope,” he said.

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