Show mercy on mother who killed Baby X: advocate

THE advocate of the woman accused of assaulting and killing her child, asked the court to show “mercy” during sentencing.

Advocate Murray Pitman represented the mother of Baby X when she appeared in the Durban High Court this week.

Baby X was killed in November 2014 after she was assaulted by her mother and grandmother.

Neither women can be named, to protect the identity of the surviving children.

In September, the 34-year-old was found guilty of child abuse, assault, failure to provide medical care and the murder of her 3-yearold daughter, who had been dubbed Baby X by the media.

The grandmother faced 17 similar charges including murder and sexual assault, but died while in prison in April.

Baby X’s mother was also found guilty of child abuse and failure to provide medical assistance for her then 11-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter.

It emerged in court that the boy had been burnt with cigarettes and an iron, pinched on his private parts and assaulted with various objects.

The mother also forced both older children to sell stickers and beg for money in Durban’s CBD.

During the trial, evidence given by a psychologist stated that a mental evaluation conducted on the woman after her arrest showed she had an IQ of 60 and the mental functioning of a 16- or 17-year-old.

Pitman argued that the mother’s circumstances and mental capacity should be taken into consideration when deciding on a suitable sentence. He added that a 10-year custodial sentence would be suitable.

However, senior State advocate Sheryl Naidu argued that type of sentence would be a “slap on the wrist”, considering the seriousness of the crimes committed.

She called for a 25-year sentence in respect of the murder and that the mother be sentenced separately on each count.