Mother faces murder charge after discovery of newborn in Lotus River drain
A one day-old baby was found in a drain in Lotus River.
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The State has upgraded the charges against the 31-year-old mother from child neglect to murder after her one-day-old baby was found in a drain in Lotus River.
Ireesha Francis appeared in a packed Wynberg Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, where she now faces a charge of murder following the discovery of her newborn daughter on corner of 2nd Avenue and Antelope Street.
The infant was found on Sunday, covered in baby blankets and wrapped in plastic. According to the State, Francis gave birth to a healthy baby girl at Retreat Midwife Obstetric Unit (MOU) hospital on 1 May.
Both mother and child were reportedly in good health when they were discharged the following day. However, concerns were raised when Francis returned home without the newborn. When questioned by family members, she allegedly gave conflicting accounts about what had happened to the baby.
At one point, she reportedly claimed that she had left the infant on a pavement. Alarmed by her responses, members of the community, along with family, the CPF and neighbourhood watch structures, launched a search for the missing baby, but their efforts proved unsuccessful. On 3 May, Francis informed police of the location where she claimed she had left the baby inside a plastic bag stating that the infant had been alive at the time.
Police followed up on the information and made the grim discovery of the baby’s body in a drain. The infant was found dead. Francis, who appeared visibly emotional in court, opted for legal aid representation. Her legal representative informed the court that this is her first offence and that she has no previous criminal record.
The court also heard that Francis is due for a medical check-up, having recently given birth. As proceedings concluded, Francis was led down to the holding cells. Before leaving, she turned toward the public gallery and broke down in tears. The case has been postponed until 14 May 2026 for a formal bail application.