21-year-old mother jailed for 12 years for newborn's murder in KwaZulu-Natal
A 21-year-old woman from northern KwaZulu-Natal has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for the tragic murder of her newborn child.
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A 21-year-old northern KwaZulu-Natal woman has been jailed for 12 years for the murder of her newborn child. The child was dumped in a pit toilet and was dead by the time relatives made the discovery.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said in a statement that the Mtubatuba Regional Court has sentenced the woman to 12 years direct imprisonment following her conviction for the murder of her newborn baby.
The incident took place in August 2024 in the Hluhluwe area. The NPA said that in sentencing the woman, the court deviated from the minimum sentence of life imprisonment, taking into consideration the age of the accused, and the fact that she has a minor child.
NPA regional spokesperson for KwaZulu-Natal Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said: “The accused was pregnant and on the day of the incident she had visited the outside pit toilet several times. At some stage, her mother noticed that she (the accused) was bleeding. However, she dismissed her mother’s concerns.
“Her mother then arranged for her to be taken to hospital. While the accused was in hospital her family members heard noises coming from the pit toilet area, but they assumed that it was one of the pets outside. The hospital then contacted the accused’s family asking them to look around the house to establish where the accused had left the baby. The family broke down the pit toilet and found the baby inside.”
The baby was deceased.
Ramkisson-Kara said that in court, Prosecutor Sphelele Precious Mdluli led the evidence of the accused’s mother, and the SAPS officials who had attended to the scene.
The pathologist confirmed that the baby was full-term and had lived before being thrown into the toilet.