Alberton parents handed life sentences for murder of their two-year-old

An Alberton couple has been sentenced to life imprisonment for horrific acts of abuse against their two-year-old daughter, which ultimately led to her death.

The couple murdered their daughter in May 2021. Forensics determined that the two-year-old died from injuries sustained 12 days before her death on May 15.

The High Court sitting in Palm Ridge in June found the couple guilty of abusing, raping and murdering their little girl.

During the court proceedings, the State Prosecutor Riana Williams highlighted that the couple force-fed her, forced her to swallow her own vomit, slammed her against a wall, smeared her with faeces, raped her, and finally throttled her to death.

Accused one, the mother, was convicted of murdering her daughter and accused two, the father, of being an accessory, while accused two was also convicted of abusing her and accused one of being an accessory.

The mother was given two life sentences plus an additional 20 years during the sentencing, while the father was given one life term plus an additional 25 years.

The sentences are as follows:

Accused one

Two counts of child abuse 10 years for abusing her first child and another 10 years for her second child.

Murder – life sentence

Rape – life sentence

Accused two

Accessory to murder -10 years

Rape – life sentence

Two counts of child abuse, five years for abusing his firstborn and another 10 years for his second child.

Background of the matter

The Alberton Record was informed that an Alberton north couple was scheduled to appear in court following the May 15, 2021, death of their two-year-old child as a result of injuries she experienced.

Due to drug misuse, the social services had to take the children away from their parents twice.

The couple’s three children were ordered to be removed from their care by the court in 2019 due to their drug use, negligence, and incapacity to care for the children.

However, as the mother and father had treatment and were clean, the children were returned to the family in December 2019.

In 2020, the parents resumed their drug use, and in June 2020, the children were taken away once more before being given back to them in December 2020.

The first accused (mother) claimed that she had never used drugs before meeting her spouse, the second accused, but that in 2013 he had introduced her to them.

“When we met everything was just fine and perfect but things changed in just a short time because I was abused emotionally and physically by a man I called my husband. My children went through the same thing and I was quiet because he was taking care of me financially,” she said.

Court proceedings

Charges against both defendants included rape, abuse, murder, and acts of violence.

The prosecutor presented evidence in court that the parents mistreated all three of their children and did not raise them according to the Children’s Court’s directives.

Their eldest child, who was eight years old in 2021, told the court that his mother intentionally burned him with hot water to punish him for his behaviour.

It was disclosed that the deceased’s anus and private area had been forcefully penetrated, based on medical tests submitted by a medical expert who testified in the case.

According to the prosecutor, accused one testified that accused two was the one who forcefully penetrated the deceased.

The prosecutor stated in accused one’s testimony that accused two was the one who forcefully penetrated her.

The medical reports that were provided also revealed that the hiding the deceased received resulted in a broken leg. This was one of the injuries which ultimately led to her death.

The State convinced the magistrate that since the parents failed to take their daughter to the hospital when they realised she was in pain, they should be held accountable for the late two-year-old’s death.

“Let me take you how the child died according to my investigation. The child was given a hiding by her both parents. She was thrown against the wall and strangled because she did not want to be fed food that was given to her. The parents did not know that it would go as far as their daughter succumbing to injuries because they used to beat her daily,” the prosecutor said.

WMACA welcomes the sentence

The punishments imposed by Judge Mokate Noko on the offenders have come as a joy to Women and Men Against Child Abuse (WMACA).

WMACA is an organisation that aims to protect and support everyone who is affected by GBV.

The founder of WMACA, Miranda Jordan, said that they can only hope that the deceased can rest in peace and that her older brother will find healing and find his place in life, in a happy and loving home.

“We trust that these sentences are sending a strong message to would-be offenders and those people standing by, not reporting their observations or suspicions of child abuse,” Miranda said.