Mother sentenced for murder of newborn baby

A 21-year-old woman has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for the murder of her newborn baby.

The Mtubatuba Regional Court handed down the sentence following her conviction for the incident that took place in Hluhluwe last August.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the court deviated from the minimum sentence of life imprisonment, ‘taking into consideration the age of the accused, and the fact that she has a minor child’.

“The accused was pregnant and, on the day of the incident, had visited the outside pit toilet several times. At some stage, her mother noticed that [the accused] was bleeding and asked her if she was okay,” said NPA regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara.

“However, she dismissed her mother’s concerns but her mother arranged for her to be taken to hospital.”

It was revealed that, while the accused was in hospital, her family members heard noises coming from the pit toilet, but assumed it was one of the pets outside.

“The hospital contacted the accused’s family asking them to look around the house to establish where she had left the baby, as the baby was not in hospital.

“The family broke down the pit toilet and found the baby inside,” said Ramkisson-Kara.

The pathologist confirmed that the baby was full-term and had survived before being thrown into the toilet.

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