Mpumalanga mom in court for ‘abusing’ daughter

Two neighbours reported the matter to the police, who then visited the home and reportedly found the child with bruises all over her body, Witbank News reported.

When police and the two neighbours visited the child’s grandmother to find out about the bruises, she allegedly became aggressive. The mother was then arrested for child abuse. The case was remanded to July 30.

This after the country commemorated the National Child Protection Week (CPW) two weeks ago under the theme: “Working together to Protect Children”.

In a separate incident, Child Welfare investigated a case of suspected child abuse in Mountain View, Johannesburg, after a resident claimed a child was allegedly being beaten regularly, as screams from the neighbouring property could be heard on a regular basis.

Katie Stubbs, who heard the child’s cries, said: “I used to hear regular fights coming from the house. However, on February 21 I heard a child screaming.”

“It is devastating for a mother to hear a child scream like that. I called a neighbour, and he went to go and look at the child. It appeared that the child had lacerations on his face and back. We then called the police. Two officers arrived and investigated,” she said.

Earlier this month, Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini said job applicants who have been convicted of child abuse-related crimes may soon find themselves being denied work opportunities, as their names would be put on a register as reference for potential employers.

– Caxton News Service