Kidnappers admit guilt, receive sentences

Four adults accused of kidnapping a six-year-old learner from Kollegepark Primary School in Vanderbijlpark last year admitted their guilt and were sentenced in the high court on Thursday. The charges include kidnapping the child on 2 September and then demanding R2 000 000 from the father for her release.

Tharina Human (27), former pre-school teacher and alleged mastermind behind the kidnapping, will effectively serve out 10 years imprisonment. She was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for the kidnapping, of which 5 years were suspended for a period of 5 years, provided she is not found guilty of the crime of kidnapping. For the attempted extortion she will serve out 5 years, which will run concurrently with the first sentence. Laetitia Nel (41), who have enjoyed relative freedom during the course of the trial thanks to bail that was granted earlier, will have to return to a life behind bars. Nel was effectively sentenced to 5 years imprisonment. She was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment of which 3 years were suspended for a period of five years, provided she is not found guilty of the crime of kidnapping. On the second charge she was sentenced to 5 years which will run concurrently with the first sentence.

Piet van Zyl (51), a diabetic who recently complained that the Groenpunt Prison in Deneysville was not taking into account his special dietary requirements, will have to get ready for an effective 8 years of imprisonment. Van Zyl was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment, of which 5 years were suspended for a period of 5 years. On the second count he was sentenced to 5 years which will run concurrently with the first sentence. His helper, Bofokeng Molemohi (24), will effectively serve out 7 years of imprisonment. On the first charge he was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment, of which 5 years were suspended for a period of 5 years. On the second count he was sentenced to 5 years which will run concurrently with the first sentence. State advocate Salome Scheepers, while addressing the court about aggravating circumstances, said the kidnapping had a negative impact on the child’s psychological development. The court heard that the child had nightmares and wetted her bed after the ordeal.

The prosecution claimed in court that the father suspected the mother of somehow being involved in the kidnapping, and that this led to the breakdown of the marriage. This was, however, strongly denied by lawyers representing the father. The accused stated in court papers that there were no other persons involved in the kidnapping. The couple were divorced in March.

The child is currently in the care of her father.

“There is an ongoing children’s court matter. The matter was opened in March this year. The children is placed in his primary care for reasons that are quite clear in the children’s court matter. Things that came out in the children’s court is basically the reason for the placement of the children with the father. We will not elaborate on that any further,” Vermaak said. All of the convicted kidnappers admitted that they got involved in the kidnapping to ease their respective financial situations in which they found themselves at the time of the kidnapping. None of the accused had any prior convictions.

EDITORIAL NOTE: An original version of this story stated that the “kidnapping eventually led to the dissolution of the marriage of her parents since the father suspects the mother of somehow being involved in the kidnapping”. We have amended the story to reflect that this was a claim made by the prosecution in court, which was strongly denied by legal representatives of the father. We wish to apologise for any confusion this may have occasioned.