Fate of Baby X's ‘murder mom’ to be decided in September

The four-year-long murder trial of “Baby X” will finally reach its conclusion in the Durban High court in September.

On Tuesday‚ High court Judge Mohini Moodley heard the state’s closing arguments in their case against the mother accused of the 2014 murder of her three-year-old child.

It is alleged that in November 2014‚ the 31-year old accused and her mother had gruesomely assaulted and tortured the little girl in their Chatsworth home‚ leading to her death.

The pair were facing murder charges as well as child abuse‚ assault and sexual assault charges against the little girl’s two older siblings‚ who are now nine and 12.

The case took an unexpected twist when the 51-year old grandmother died at the Westville Prison in April.

Neither the accused nor Baby X can be named‚ to protect the identity of the siblings.

Now left to answer for her alleged crimes by herself‚ the mother of Baby X looked sombre as she quietly sniffled in the dock while state advocate Cheryl Naidu delivered her closing arguments.

Naidu focused on two main arguments raised by defence advocate Murray Pitman on Monday.

Pitman had argued that it was the grandmother who had prompted her daughter to act in the way she did and that the main blame for the child’s death should fall on the elder woman.

However Naidu disagreed.

“She chose to behave like she did‚ she knew right from wrong‚ there is no diminished responsibility to speak of...”

He also argued that the accused’s mental capability had to come into question because of a 2001 car accident.

Moodley said that the woman's mental health would become more relevant during sentencing if she was found guilty.

She will deliver her judgment on September 20.