Booysens couple convicted for selling their baby for R500
"It was also put on record in court that the couple made the baby drink Kool-aid while the father ate the baby formula."
The Pretoria High Court convicted Wayne (36) and Justine Loubser (32) from Booysens for selling their baby for R500.
The couple was convicted and found guilty on November 6 for child neglect, common assault and failure to register a child.
Justine was further found guilty of human trafficking.
NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the couple had the baby in April 2020 and did not register the child at the Department of Home Affairs to sell the baby and for the baby not to be traced back to them.
Mahanjana said a woman, Saunders, who owned a food cart in Booysens met the couple around July/August 2020.
“She first met Wayne who asked her for food from the food cart. The following day Wayne came with his wife, Justine to introduce her and the baby who was two months old at the time. Wayne proceeded to ask Saunders for R50 to buy nappies for the baby.
“Saunders asked her daughter-in-law to go buy them and gave them to the couple. From then on Saunders continued to buy nappies and baby formula for the baby.”
Mahanjana said it was also put on record in court that the couple made the baby drink Kool-aid while the father ate the baby formula.
She said the court also heard that the couple repeatedly assaulted the baby several times on different occasions.
“The mother would take the baby to her workplace at a pub while the father would drop the child off at Saunders’ food cart while intoxicated.
“A doctor who examined the baby testified in court that on November 6, 2020, she completed a J88-medical form which stated that the baby had bruises that were five days old on the head, chest and right arm and had a rash on his buttocks.
“Also, the couple had missed appointments and went weeks later for the child’s vaccination at the clinic so that the nurses could not see the bruises.”
Mahanjana said on two separate occasions, the parents individually tried to sell the baby to Saunders. The father approached Saunders first and offered to give her the baby for R2 000 and asked to go with her to the Department of Home Affairs to register the baby as hers.
“The mother on November 3, 2020, approached Saunders and offered to give the baby to her for a fee of R2 500 because she wanted to leave her husband and Pretoria.
“The following day, Wayne came back to the food cart to enquire whether Saunders considered his offer. Saunders informed him that his wife also tried to sell the baby for R2 500. Wayne then reduced his price to R1 000.
“On November 5 midday, Justine went to the food cart to ask Saunders to reconsider buying the baby and reduced her offer to R500.
“On November 6, Wayne went to Saunders at the food cart and threatened to kill the baby if she did not buy him. Later that day, the mother also went to the food cart without the baby; when Saunders enquired about the baby, she told her that he was home because he fell from the bed.”
Mahanjana said an informer who witnessed this happen called and reported the matter to the police.
She said the police together with Saunders set a trap for the couple.
“The police gave Saunders R500 to buy the baby from the couple. The exchange took place outside the couple’s house between Justine and Saunders while Wayne was inside the house.
“The mother took the money and gave Saunders the baby and returned to the house. Immediately, the police went inside the house, confiscated the money and arrested the couple.
“The baby was taken to a healthcare facility for observation and is currently in safe care.”
She added that the couple has been in custody since their arrest and the matter was postponed to February 1, 2022, for sentencing.
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