Durban mother gets 20 years for killing daughter after rage outburst

A mother from Durban has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the murder of her three-year-old daughter, following a history of abuse and anger management issues.

The Durban High Court sentenced the 35-year-old woman after she pleaded guilty to assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and the murder of her daughter in May 2022.

On 31 May 2022, the mother of three had taken her youngest child, who suffers from glaucoma, to the clinic as he was unwell. At the time, her children were aged nine years, three years, and one year.

Mother sentenced to 20 years for daughter’s murder

When the mother returned from the clinic, she attempted to feed her youngest child, a son, but he began to cry and refused to eat. She made food for her middle daughter after that, but she also rejected it and began to cry.

“The accused said that she got angry and frustrated and hit the deceased with a rolling pin all over her body as well as on her head,” National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said.

The children continued to wail, and the situation became worse when the three-year-old soiled herself.

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The mother took the middle child to the bathroom to clean her up, but she continued crying, along with the youngest child. In a fit of rage, the mother hit the three-year-old as she washed her.

“She eventually strangled the deceased. The accused said that her older child tried to stop her, but she was so enraged that she continued to attack the deceased,” Ramkisson-Kara said.

When the mother finally realised the child had stopped breathing, she panicked, dressed the child in clothes, and wrapped her in a blanket. She called her husband to inform him of her actions; he called a doctor, and then the police arrived at the scene.

History of abuse and violence

In her plea, the mother told the court that she had endured a difficult childhood, witnessing violence and being subjected to it herself.

She said that at 17, someone raped her, and this traumatic experience drove her to attempt suicide. The mother said when the deceased was born in 2019, she claimed to be homeless and living in a shelter.

“She said that she met a woman on social media who offered to foster the deceased for her, and she agreed. The deceased went on to stay with the foster mother for three years,” Ramkisson-Kara said.

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The accused wed the father of her youngest child during this period. To form a family, her husband, who lives in the United Kingdom (UK), urged her to bring the three-year-old back home. She brought the deceased back to her house.

However, her husband had to return to the UK because his South African visa had expired, and he left her alone with the children.

Woman would beat daughters in bouts of anger

“She said that she would often beat the two girls during her bouts of anger and throw things at them,” Ramkisson-Kara added.

In court, the state, represented by Adv. Kelvin Singh, submitted victim impact statements, which were compiled by the foster mother and the eldest daughter.

The foster mother said she had taken care of the middle child from when she was three weeks old until a month and a half before she was murdered.

“The woman said that she is heartbroken and that the incident has adversely affected her. Further, she mentioned that she would have taken the deceased back if the accused had told her that she was not coping,” Ramkisson-Kara said.

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The eldest daughter said she misses her sister a lot and she experiences nightmares due to what happened, and she is afraid to sleep.

20 years imprisonment

In sentencing, the court deviated from a life sentence and sentenced her to 20 years’ imprisonment as the mother pleaded guilty.

“The court also accepted that the accused had been a victim of physical and sexual abuse. The fact that the accused had been in custody for three years and that she required medication to treat some of her conditions also led to the court’s deviation,” Ramkisson-Kara said.

The NPA welcomed the sentence and said the case underscored its commitment to ensuring that justice is served, particularly in cases against children.