The 19-month-old toddler suffered from severe blunt-force trauma to her head and succumbed to her injuries few days after her hospital admission.
The Gqeberha Serious Organised Crime Investigation (SOCI) has secured a conviction in one of the province’s most harrowing child murder cases in an investigation that spanned more than a decade.
Robin Clarke and Kristen Ferreira were convicted by the Gqeberha High Court on Wednesday, 9 December 2025.
Investigations
The duo was arrested by the Hawks in September 2022; Clarke was remanded in custody, and Ferreira was released on bail with strict conditions.
Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana said the case was reassigned to the unit in 2020 following an intervention by the Eastern Cape Saps provincial management.
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“Looking at the profound complexity, sensitivity, and evidential intricacies inherent in the matter. A crime which shook the conscience of the community in October 2013, where a 19-month-old Krisley Faith Dirker was rushed to Westring Medicross suffering from severe blunt-force trauma to her head. Furthermore, accompanied by multiple extensive injuries across her body,” said Mhlakuvana.
Death
Mhlakuvana said that despite medical intervention, the child succumbed to injuries a few days later.
“At the time of the fatal assault, the toddler was taken care of by Clarke, while the mother, Ferreira, was at work. The brutality inflicted upon such a young child sent deep shockwaves through both the local community and the child-protection environment, underscoring the urgency for a precise, uncompromising, and forensic-level investigation.”
Arrest
Mhlakuvana said a multi-layered investigation by the Hawks culminated in the successful finalisation of the probe in early 2022, enabling the issuance of arrest warrants for both suspects, who were subsequently arrested.
“On 9 December 2025, the Gqeberha High Court delivered a decisive judgment, where both accused were found guilty on numerous counts, including murder. The court further found that Clarke played a direct and violent role in the fatal assault of the toddler, while both accused failed in their parental and custodial duty to protect the child.”
Mhlakuvana said the matter has been remanded to 3 February 2026 for further proceedings.
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