9 November 2018
Government welcomes the 20 year sentence imposed on the mother who murdered her child who became known to the media as Baby X in 2014.
The mother has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The court found that the 35-year-old woman had murdered her three-year-old daughter, who had endured being beaten, starved, burnt with cigarettes, had chilli powder put in her nappy and tied to a bed at night.
GCIS Acting DG Phumla Williams said: “As a nation, we must never tolerate any form of abuse against children. The law should continue to be harsh and show no mercy towards the perpetrators of child abuse. As a society we must expose these abusers and we must act to prevent abuse of children in our communities.
“One cannot imagine the pain that poor baby suffered at the hands of adults who clearly displayed an inhumane behavior towards this little child. We will not stop speaking about these barbaric acts until we rid our society of such acts,” said Williams.
Government has put in place child protection mechanisms such as legislation and international instruments that the country has ratified as a commitment to the protection of children’s rights. Key among these is Section 28 of the Constitution which specifically deals with and lays the foundation of children’s rights.
The baby’s grandmother who was also charged with the murder and assault died of natural causes this year while awaiting trial in Westville prison.
Enquiries:
Phumla Williams
Cell: 083 501 0139
Issued by: Government Communications
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