Two women, aged 17 and 20 appeared in the Umzimkhulu Magistrates Court last Thursday (May 21) for kidnapping a newborn baby.
The teenager was released into her parent’s care.
They were arrested by police officers from the Port Shepstone Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) on May 20.
It is alleged that at 9.45am on May 18, a 23-year-old mother was discharged from hospital in Umzimkhulu after giving birth to a baby boy. Whilst at the hospital, she was approached by two women who pretended to have visited a relative in the maternity ward.
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They offered to leave with her as they were also going to the Umzimkhulu CBD. When they reached the CBD, they took the baby from the mother when she wanted to go into the lavatory.
On her return, she could not find the women or her four-day-old baby boy. She reported the incident to Umzimkhulu police and a case of kidnapping was opened.
The docket was assigned to the Port Shepstone FCS unit and an intensive investigation led the team of officers to Mfulamahle Location where the two women and baby were found.
They were arrested. The baby was taken to hospital for a medical check-up. Investigations revealed that the baby was destined to Gauteng where the one of the suspect’s boyfriend resides.