Action Society opposes bail relaxation for alleged baby snatcher

Civil rights organisation, Action Society, is opposing the bail relaxation for alleged baby snatcher Sameemah Jacobs, citing that this was one of her apparent manipulative tactics.

Jacobs' bid to have her bail conditions amended is expected to take place today at the Bellville Magistrates’ Court. Jacobs is currently out on R4,000 bail.

Jacobs is keen to amend her bail conditions in order to visit her son in Mitchells Plain and to collect her belongings at a residence she once rented. She is also asking the court to allow her to sign in at Delft Police Station instead of Kleinvlei.

In a statement issued, Action Society said: “Action Society has formally written to the Bellville Magistrates’ Court, opposing any relaxation of the bail conditions of 37-year-old Sameemah Jacobs – the woman accused of abducting baby Mogamat Imaad Sharmar from a Bellville shopping mall in June this year.

“Action Society’s letter to the court sets out its firm position:

• The accused has previously displayed deceptive conduct and cannot be deemed reliable under relaxed supervision.
• Her changing explanations appear manipulative rather than genuine.
• Allowing access to Mitchells Plain — the area where baby Mogamat was found — creates unnecessary risk.
• Relaxing the bail would undermine public confidence in the justice process and retraumatise the victim’s family.”

Kaylynn Palm, head of Action Society’s Action Centre, argued that should Jacobs’ bail conditions be changed, the victim’s family would suffer secondary trauma. “This is not a case of inconvenience; it is a case of deliberate manipulation,” said Palm. “The accused deceived a young mother through multiple false identities, gained her trust, and abducted her nine-day-old baby. Any relaxation of bail conditions in such a case would not only risk public safety but also retraumatise the family.”

“Baby Mogamat’s mother, Imaan Sharmar, was befriended by the accused under two different names — first as Washeemah, a woman she met at a clinic before her baby’s birth, and later as Chevon, a supposed nurse from the “Zoey Project” who claimed to help young mothers.

On 28 June 2025, during what she believed was a legitimate outing for a support programme, Imaan’s baby was abducted after she briefly stepped away. The child was recovered two days later in Tafelsig, Mitchells Plain, following swift police action.

“Clearly, the accused carefully planned and executed the abduction, assuming multiple identities and manipulating community trust networks; she targeted a vulnerable mother and her newborn. The court must ensure that the bail conditions reflect the seriousness of this crime and the risk posed by the accused.”

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