‘Child-abusing mother’ in court
The case against the woman accused of abusing her six-year-old daughter in Witbank, Mpumalanga, has been remanded in the Witbank Magistrates’ Court.
Two neighbours reported the matter to the police, who visited the home and reportedly found the child bruised all over her body.
When police and the two neighbours visited the child’s grandmother to ask about the bruises, she allegedly became aggressive.
The mother was then arrested for child abuse. She appeared in court on June 3, and the case was remanded to July 30.
This comes after the country commemorated National Child Protection Week two weeks ago under the theme: Working together to Protect Children. Earlier this month, Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini said job applicants convicted of child abuse-related crimes might soon find they are denied work opportunities, as their names would be put on a register.
In a separate incident, Child Welfare have investigated a case of suspected child abuse in Mountain View, Johannesburg, after a resident claimed a child was being beaten regularly, as screams from the neighbouring property could be heard on a daily basis.
Resident Katie Stubbs said: “I used to hear regular fights coming from the house. However, on February 21 I heard a child screaming. It is devastating for a mother to hear a child scream like that.
“I called a neighbour and he went to go and look at the child. It appeared the child had lacerations on his face and back. We then called the police. Two officers arrived and investigated,” she said. – Caxton News Service