Mother in court for beating baby to death

A 42-year-old South African mother in Limpopo has appeared in court facing a charge of murder after she allegedly killed her baby.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson for the Limpopo division Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, said that the woman, Mutavhatsindi Ndishavhani had appeared in the Tshaulu Periodical Court to face the charge of murder this week.

Police arrested the woman for murder after she had allegedly beaten her 11-month-old baby to death.

“It is alleged that the woman locked herself and the boy inside her house and started praying. She then started hitting the child,”  Malabi-Dzhangi said.

“Community members heard the baby’s high pitched cry and rushed to the house. After realising that the door was locked, they broke it down and rescued the badly injured baby from the mother,” Malabi-Dzhangi said.

Malabi-Dzhangi said that the baby was transported to the local clinic in Lambani. However, medical staff had certified that the child was dead on arrival.

The murder case was postponed to 3 August 2021 for further police investigation. The the woman was remanded in custody.

According to Safer Spaces, in 2016 the first-ever nationally representative study of child maltreatment in South Africa was published, showing that over 40% of young people have experienced some form sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse or neglect at some point in their lives.

“This study reported on interviews that were conducted with 15 to 17 year olds about their lifetime experiences of violence and abuse across South Africa. This figure is high, but it is not unusual: similar studies on violence against children have been conducted across 12 other countries, with many revealing equally high rates,” Safer Spaces reported.

“While the current statistics are bleak, there is hope that with reliable data, national leaders will be able to make real progress in improving the well-being of children. By drawing on the growing body of evidence that has deepened our understanding of violence and how to prevent it, people with the power to influence child-wellbeing at a national level can turn scientific evidence into effective policy,” the site reported.