A 23-year-old woman who gave her child up for adoption and later stole the child of her new lover has been handed a 12-year jail sentence by the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court.
Sinqobile Ntando Khumalo was sentenced following her conviction on Friday‚ said Captain Xoli Mbele.
Her boyfriend had fetched his five-year-old daughter in Rietfontein‚ Muldersdrift‚ on December 16‚ wanting to buy her clothes for Christmas.
At the time‚ he was accompanied by Khumalo.
Two days later‚ however‚ he came home from work to find his girlfriend and child missing.
Three days later‚ he reported them missing at the Johannesburg Central Police Station.
Investigations led police to KwaZulu-Natal‚ where Khumalo was arrested at the Isipingo taxi rank‚ almost three weeks after disappearing with the little girl.
She led police to Eshowe‚ where the child was recovered.
“She had taken the child to the family of her ex-boyfriend‚ who had since passed away. She told them the child needed family rituals‚ saying the child was sick‚” said Mbele.
The family gladly welcomed the child but were shocked when police arrived with a woman who claimed to be the child’s real mother.
“The child had also run to her mother when she saw her‚” said Mbele.
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