Childline KwaZulu-Natal has welcomed the sentencing of a Durban mother who was convicted of brutally murdering her three-year-old daughter in 2022. The organisation’s director, Adeshni Naicker, called the ruling “a step toward justice” and a message that violence against children will not be tolerated.
This week, the Durban High Court sentenced the 35-year-old woman to 20 years in prison after she admitted to assaulting and murdering her daughter.
According to Natasha Ramkisson-Kara from the National Prosecuting Authority, the woman had initially handed over the child to a woman she met on social media, who offered to foster the girl. The child lived with the foster mother for three years, while her biological mother went on to marry a man from the UK.
Eventually, the woman was encouraged by her husband to bring the child back so they could live together as a family. However, shortly after the reunion, tragedy unfolded.
Ramkisson-Kara recounted heartbreaking details of the child’s final moments. On May 31, 2022, the mother returned from the clinic with her youngest child, who suffers from glaucoma. After struggling to feed both the toddler and her siblings, the mother snapped.
Fueled by frustration, she violently struck the three-year-old with a rolling pin, targeting her body and head. Later, overwhelmed by the child’s crying and a soiled diaper, she continued the assault while washing her — and then strangled her.
Though the crime could have resulted in a life sentence, the court handed down a 20-year term, acknowledging the woman’s guilty plea and other considerations.
Naicker said the outcome sends a clear message: “This sentence is precedent-setting. It serves as a warning to others who might think of harming children.”
She added that while no punishment could undo the pain inflicted, the ruling offers some comfort. “Our hearts go out to the siblings and loved ones. Justice brings a sense of peace.”