Alberton couple sentenced for 2-year-old daughter’s murder

An Alberton couple has been sentenced to life imprisonment for horrific acts of abuse against their two-year-old daughter, which ultimately led to her tragic death.

The couple murdered their daughter in May 2021, with forensics determining that she succumbed to injuries sustained 12 days prior on May 15. In June, the High Court sitting in Palm Ridge found the couple guilty of abusing, raping, and murdering their little girl.

During the trial, state prosecutor Riana Williams detailed the shocking abuse, stating the couple force-fed their daughter, made her swallow her own vomit, slammed her against a wall, smeared her with faeces, raped her, and ultimately throttled her to death. The mother, accused one, was convicted of murder, while the father, accused two, was found guilty of being an accessory and also convicted of abusing the child.

In the sentencing, delivered yesterday, the mother received two life sentences plus an additional 20 years, while the father was given one life term plus an additional 25 years.

Their sentences include:

Mother

• Two counts of child abuse: 10 years for abusing her first child and another 10 years for her second child
• Murder: Life sentence
• Rape: Life sentence

Father

• Accessory to murder: 10 years
• Rape: Life sentence
• Two counts of child abuse: Five years for abusing his firstborn and another 10 years for his second child

Background

The Alberton Record reported that the couple had previously faced intervention from social services due to drug misuse. Their three children were removed from their care twice, first in 2019 due to negligence and drug use.

Although they underwent treatment and regained custody in December 2019, the couple resumed their drug use in 2020, leading to further removals of the children in June before they were returned once more in December.

The mother claimed she had never used drugs before meeting her husband, who introduced her to them in 2013.

“When we met, everything was just fine, but things changed quickly as I was abused emotionally and physically. My children endured the same,” she stated.

Court proceedings

Charges against both defendants included rape, abuse, rape, abuse, murder, and acts of violence.

The prosecutor presented evidence in court that the parents mistreated all three of their children and did not raise them according to the Children’s Court’s directives.

Their eldest child, who was eight years old in 2021, told the court that his mother intentionally burned him with hot water to punish him for his behaviour.

It was disclosed that the deceased’s anus and private area had been forcefully penetrated, based on medical tests submitted by a medical expert who testified in the case.

According to the prosecutor, accused one testified that accused two was the one who forcefully penetrated the deceased.

The prosecutor stated in accused one’s testimony that accused two was the one who forcefully penetrated her.

The medical reports that were provided also revealed that the beating the deceased received resulted in a broken leg. This was one of the injuries which ultimately led to her death.

The state convinced the magistrate that since the parents failed to take their daughter to the hospital when they realised she was in pain, they should be held accountable for the late two-year-old’s death.

“Let me take you how the child died according to my investigation. The child was given a hiding by both parents. She was thrown against the wall and strangled because she did not want to be fed food that was given to her. The parents did not know that it would go as far as their daughter succumbing to injuries because they used to beat her daily,” the prosecutor said.

Sentencing welcomed

The punishments imposed by Judge Mokate Noko on the offenders have come as a joy to Women and Men Against Child Abuse (WMACA).

WMACA is an organisation that aims to protect and support everyone who is affected by gender-based violence.

The founder of WMACA, Miranda Jordan, said that they can only hope that the deceased can rest in peace and that her older brother will find healing and find his place in life, in a happy and loving home.

“We trust that these sentences are sending a strong message to would-be offenders and those people standing by, not reporting their observations or suspicions of child abuse,” Jordan added.

The names of the parents are withheld to protect the identity of the brother per law.