Director of Childline in KwaZulu-Natal, Adeshni Naicker welcomed the sentencing of a KwaZulu-Natal mother who murdered her three year-old daughter in May 2022.
This week, the Durban High Court sentenced a 35-year-old woman to 20 years’ direct imprisonment after she pleaded guilty to the assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and murder of her daughter.
Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, the regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the accused stated in court that she met a woman on social media who offered to foster the deceased for her, and she agreed.
Ramkisson-Kara said that the deceased went on to stay with the foster mother for three years. During this time, the accused married the father of her youngest child. This man, who resides in the United Kingdom (UK), then encouraged her to bring the deceased back to live with them so that they could be a family. The deceased was then brought back to her home.
Ramkisson-Kara said that the husband had to return to the UK because his South African VISA had expired. He left her alone with the three children (her older daughter, the deceased, and her youngest child).
“She said that she would often beat the two girls during her bouts of anger and throw things at them. On 31 May 2022, the accused had taken her youngest child, who suffers from glaucoma, to the clinic as he was unwell. Her children were aged nine, three and one year old at the time. When she returned from the clinic, she tried feeding her youngest child, but he refused to eat and started crying. She then prepared food for the deceased, but she too refused the food and started crying. 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,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
Ramkisson-Kara said that the children continued to cry, and the situation was worsened by the deceased soiling herself.
“The accused said that she was very angry and hit the deceased while she washed her. She eventually strangled the deceased,” said Ramkisson-Kara
Ramkisson-Kara said during sentencing, the court deviated from life imprisonment and sentenced her to 20 years’ imprisonment.
Naicker said the sentencing is precedent-setting and definitely serves as a deterrent for would-be perpetrators.
“Our hearts go out to the siblings and loved ones, however a sentencing does give one a sense of peace knowing justice has been served,” Naicker said.
