A woman from Oudtshoorn has been remanded in custody for the murder of her seven-year-old son, while another woman in Plettenberg Bay was arrested for the killing of her three-day-old daughter.
Trigger Warning: This article discusses cases of child harm and death.
Story Summary:
- An Oudtshoorn mother has been charged with the murder of her seven-year-old son after his body was found in their home.
- In a separate incident, a Plettenberg Bay woman was arrested for the murder of her three-day-old daughter.
- Both women have been remanded in custody, and investigations are ongoing.
Oudtshoorn mom remanded in custody for murder
A 39-year-old woman from Oudtshoorn has been remanded in custody following her first court appearance for the murder of her seven-year-old son.
The tragic incident came to light on Sunday, 11 August 2024, when Oudtshoorn police were called to a home on Korhaan Avenue, Bridgeton.
There, they discovered the lifeless body of the young boy in a bedroom. Paramedics on the scene confirmed his death.
Initially, an inquest docket was opened to investigate the circumstances surrounding the boy’s death.
However, a post-mortem later revealed that the cause of death was strangulation, prompting the police to change the charge to murder.
Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of the boy’s mother on Wednesday, 21 August 2024.
She appeared in the Oudtshoorn Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 23 August 2024, where she was formally charged with murder.
The case has been postponed to Tuesday, 27 August 2024, for legal representation, and the mother remains in custody.
Plett woman arrested for killing three-day-old daughter
In a separate and equally harrowing incident, a 23-year-old woman from Plettenberg Bay has been arrested for the murder of her three-day-old daughter.
On Monday, 19 August 2024, police were dispatched to a scene near the N2 highway opposite Kwanokuthula, where they found the body of the newborn girl.
Medical personnel on-site confirmed the infant’s death.
Following an investigation, police traced the mother to a nearby hospital, where she had given birth earlier in the month.
She was subsequently arrested on charges of murder and is currently in custody.
The woman is expected to make her first court appearance in the Plettenberg Bay Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 26 August 2024.
For South African mothers seeking help, contact the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) on 0800 567 567 or Lifeline on 0861 322 322.
