NELSPRUIT -“She would feed the children until they threw up and then she would make them eat their own vomit.” This was the shocking testimony of Ms Janet Mtetwa in the Nelspruit Regional Court on Wednesday against Ms Christina Bruins (44) who ran a day-care centre in White River.
Bruins appeared on numerous charges of child abuse.
Media had reported previously that a baby in the Baby Haven day-care centre in White River had died on April 2, 2008. The baby was four months old, and according to the post-mortem it was a cot death.
Yet, Bruins was arrested on October 30, 2010 after two of her staff members reported her to social workers. She apparently immediately closed the centre down after she was apprehended. The police then did an enquiry into the death of the baby but apparently the parents were too traumatised from the incident to take it further.
Mtetwa testified in court how, when she was apparently working as a maid in Bruin’s house, she had gone through to the day-care centre to use the bathroom when she allegedly saw how a baby, named Divan, had been tied up with a blanket with his arms pressed tightly against his body. His mouth was apparently stuffed with a towel nappy that flapped over his face.
She also told the court that on many occasions she apparently saw the accused and Lettie, another staff member, feeding the children dry oats with no sugar or milk until the children threw up after which they would feed the children their own vomit off the floor.
Mtetwa added that she had allegedly seen Bruins hit the children continuously with her bare hand on their backsides. When she asked Bruins why, she apparently replied that the children were “naughty”. “When the children weren’t sleeping they were crying. My heart was very sore and I couldn’t work there anymore.”
Mtetwa also stated that she had taken photos on her phone of the children which she submitted as evidence.
During cross-examination by defence attorney Mr Coert Jordaan, he stated the photos should not be used as evidence as the witness was not with the phone when the pictures were printed out. He also stated that she could not stick to her description of the events correctly and kept changing the name of the child from “Divine ” to “Divan”.
Mtetwa then explained she was not good with remembering names but he was apparently the only child with a name like that at the centre.
Jordaan questioned her on the validity of her statement as she could not recount any of the other children’s names. Bruins is currently out on R3 000 bail while the trial continues.
