Zephany asks for privacy
A DAY before the continuation of the trial of the woman accused of kidnapping her, Zephany Nurse has asked that the media “respect her feelings”.
In a statement released by Zephany’s lawyer Anne Skelton, Zephany said she was grappling with writing her supplementary exams while the media reported on “personal things” about her and her family.
She said: “You have no idea what it’s like to walk in the street where people know me and judge me because of you invading personal things about my life. Don’t you think for once that that is my mother? Whether it is true or not is not for you to toy with.
“Take all the professionalism away and think how it would be if this was you and your family, and your reputation gets swept through the disgusting gutters of filth. How would you look at yourself in the mirror? How would you feel as a father, desperately broken but still finds the goodness to support his family. While you are out there publishing stories which you yourself don’t know if it’s true or not?”
She asked reporters to place themselves in her shoes and not to victimise her family and friends and not to publish “vicious attacks”.
Zephany’s statement comes as the Lavender Hill woman accused of kidnapping her from a maternity ward at Groote Schuur Hospital in 1997, is set to be cross-examined by the State today.
The State closed its case in three days, after calling eight witnesses including Zephany’s biological parents, Morné and Celeste Nurse.
The woman, 51, accused of snatching Zephany, pleaded not guilty to kidnapping, fraud and contravening sections of the Children’s Act.
Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe briefly adjourned last Monday so that the woman, who in a rare display of emotion burst out in tears, could compose herself. She denied kidnapping Zephany, insisting a woman known as Sylvia gave her the child at a train station in Wynberg. She said she met Sylvia at Tygerberg Hospital.
Adding that Sylvia first offered her medication to fix her gynaecological issues before propositioning an “adoption” at the rate of R3 000. She said she chose not to tell her husband and Zephany the truth because they had a close bond. I was about to tell Zephany the truth when she was in matric.”