The kidnapping case that has gripped SA
Judge set to deliver his judgment today as emotional trial closes
THE KIDNAPPING of a baby girl from a maternity ward at Groote Schuur Hospital almost 19 years ago has captured the attention of international and local media as the dramatic story unfolds at the Western Cape High Court.
Celeste Nurse was only 18 when she was admitted to the hospital to deliver her first child almost two decades ago.
On April 28, 1997, Celeste gave birth to a baby girl via C-section. The child was named Zephany Nurse.
In an emotional submission at the start of the trial, Celeste said her daughter was so beautiful that she reminded her of Simba in the Lion King with her “black mass of hair”.
The young mother was under heavy sedation when a woman, dressed in the hospital nurse’s uniform of maroon pants and an oatmeal top, entered the ward and took Zephany on April 30, 1997.
Celeste said that the question “Mommy, where is your baby?” was etched in her mind as she woke up to this enquiry from a nurse shortly after Zephany was snatched.
A frantic search ensued. The child’s father, 19-year-old Morné Nurse, was notified of baby Zephany’s disappearance while he was at work.
In submissions to court, he said he was crouching “in a foetal position” in the hospital hallway when he was approached by Shireen Piet, another mother in the maternity ward. In an effort to console him, Piet explained she had met the woman who took his child. She said the same woman had tried to snatch her daughter hours before Zephany vanished.
Piet would later become one of the key witnesses in the State’s case against the woman accused of kidnapping Zephany.
The couple’s story grabbed headlines in 1997 as police and the public searched for the missing baby.
In an effort to keep Zephany’s memory alive, the couple would celebrate their baby’s birthday and light a candle for her. Little did the distraught young couple know that 18 years later, they would be reunited with their long-lost daughter.
It was in February last year that Morné, now a father of three, met an 18-year-old girl who bore a striking resemblance to his younger children. The girl, and one of Morné’s younger daughters, was enrolled at the same high school.
Morné described an instant connection to his daughter’s friend while they had lunch at a restaurant close to home.
It was only when the girl revealed her birthday that Morné confirmed his suspicions. She was born on April 30, 1997 – the same day Zephany had vanished.
He immediately collected evidence and presented his case to Hawks investigators.
After further investigation, a 51-year-old Lavender Hill seamstress was arrested in February last year for the kidnapping of Zephany.
Last month, the woman pleaded not guilty to kidnapping, fraud and contravening sections of the Children’s Act.
Western Cape Judge John Hlophe will deliver his judgment today after nearly three weeks of intense testimonies and shocking truths.