The charges include kidnapping the child on 2 September and then demanding R2 000 000 from the father for her release.

Tharina Human (27), former pre-school teacher and alleged mastermind behind the kidnapping, will effectively serve out 10 years imprisonment. She was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for the kidnapping, of which 5 years were suspended for a period of 5 years, provided she is not found guilty of the crime of kidnapping. For the attempted extortion she will serve out 5 years, which will run concurrently with the first sentence.

Laetitia Nel (41), who have enjoyed relative freedom during the course of the trial thanks to bail that was granted earlier, will have to return to a life behind bars. Nel was effectively sentenced to 5 years imprisonment. She was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment of which 3 years were suspended for a period of five years, provided she is not found guilty of the crime of kidnapping. On the second charge she was sentenced to 5 years which will run concurrently with the first sentence.

Piet van Zyl (51), a diabetic who recently complained that the Groenpunt Prison in Deneysville was not taking into account his special dietary requirements, will have to get ready for an effective 8 years of imprisonment. Van Zyl was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment, of which 5 years were suspended for a period of 5 years. On the second count he was sentenced to 5 years which will run concurrently with the first sentence.

His helper, Bofokeng Molemohi (24), will effectively serve out 7 years of imprisonment. On the first charge he was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment, of which 5 years were suspended for a period of 5 years. On the second count he was sentenced to 5 years which will run concurrently with the first sentence. State advocate

Salome Scheepers, while addressing the court about aggravating circumstances, said the kidnapping had a negative impact on the child’s psychological development.

The court heard that the child had nightmares and wetted her bed after the ordeal.

The kidnapping eventually led to the dissolution of the marriage of her parents since the father suspects the mother of being somehow involved in the kidnapping.

The child is currently in the care of her father. The father’s lawyer Ockert Vermaak told media that the family (of the father) is suspecting the biological mother.

“There is an ongoing children’s court matter. The matter was opened in March this year. The children is placed in his primary care for reasons that are quite clear in the children’s court matter. Things that came out in the children’s court is basically the reason for the placement of the children with the father. We will not elaborate on that any further,” Vermaak said.

All of the convicted kidnappers admitted that they got involved in the kidnapping to ease their respective financial situations in which they found themselves at the time of the kidnapping.

None of the accused had any prior convictions.