The pastor of the church attended by the family of a deceased three-year-old girl says his congregation is in mourning.
Last Wednesday morning, Winnipeg Police responded to reports of a child abduction. They found the girl in a car suffering from multiple stab wounds. She was rushed to hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.
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Police say the girl’s estranged father, 28-year-old Frank Nausigimana, is behind bars where he faces first-degree murder charges.
The girl’s family has attended Calvary Temple for years. Pastor Bruce Martin tells Global News it’s been a very difficult week for them.
“My wife works in our nursery and she knew this little girl since she was a newborn,” he said. “So this little girl has been nurtured by a lot of people in our church, the news was very shocking.”
Martin says some of his church members attended a vigil in remembrance of the toddler Saturday night that was charged with emotion.
“We all want to know why this has happened,” he said. “How could we have let this happen? It’s a very difficult question to answer.”
But he says the church community is also supporting the family during this difficult time.
“This family was a part of us, we love them very much,” he said. “We’re not going to abandon the family because they’ve had a crisis. We need to pray for them.”