I feel like my son has been re-stabbed – KZN mom of paralysed victim
Despite the perpetrator’s young age, a woman has been left bitter over what she considers too lenient a sentence after an attack on her son.
A mother from Mariannridge in KZN, Bernadette Peterson, has described the sentencing of a boy (18) who stabbed her son as a spit in the face, reports Highway Mail.
Her son, Joshua, was left paralysed after being stabbed at his school in January last year.
What frustrates the mother is that she has been kept in the dark regarding the case and was only told a few days before the sentencing that it would happen on Wednesday.
“The last time I spoke to the police was when they came to take Joshua’s statement at the hospital,” she says.
According to the mother, the accused was sentenced to five years in a rehabilitation centre.
“The magistrate said in this time, he and his family will be getting counselling.”
Peterson describes the moment in court as deeply distressing.
“He didn’t show any remorse. He just kept staring at us, even at my son. He didn’t look away, he didn’t feel shy. He didn’t even come to speak to us,” she says.
She adds that neither the accused nor his family attempted to apologise.
“Not even his mother came to speak to us. I feel like my son and I have been re-stabbed. They have rubbed salt in my wounds and reopened everything,” says the frustrated mother.
She questions the sentence, saying he’s being treated as a child because he was underage at the time, but now he’s 18. “Why is he going to a juvenile facility? I don’t understand.”
Bernadette states she now plans to explore reopening the case.
“Five years is just a spit in our face. The court has spit in our face. I’m devastated, and I’m very angry.”
The incident
Joshua was stabbed three times on January 22, 2025, during what he described as a ‘senseless argument’ with another learner at school.
One of the stab wounds, inflicted behind his neck, caused severe nerve damage that left him paralysed from the neck down. Although he initially remained conscious and retained some movement, his condition deteriorated while awaiting treatment.
He spent five months in hospital before returning home, where his life has drastically changed. He now depends entirely on his family for care, including feeding and mobility, and uses a urine bag.
His mother had to quit her jobs to become his full-time caregiver, while the family face ongoing challenges transporting him due to the layout of their home.
Before the attack, Joshua says he had hoped to become a motor mechanic. Now, he is exploring options to continue his education online as he adjusts to life with limited mobility.
Peterson has also expressed frustration over a lack of communication from authorities, saying they have received little support or follow-up since the incident.
Despite the hardships, Joshua has begun to regain slight movement through physiotherapy and is adapting to daily life in new ways, including using a phone with assistance.
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