Stormwater drain baby's mother could be spared jail time if found guilty

A correctional services report could see a Newlands East, Durban, mother accused of throwing her baby down a stormwater drain placed under supervision instead of sentenced to jail time, should she be found guilty.

The woman, who cannot be named to protect the child's identity, appeared in the Ntuzuma magistrate’s court on Wednesday.

Her attorney, Jacques Botha, told the court she had been cleared by a correctional services report, a prerequisite to pleading.

“The report will form part of a plea that will be handed to the magistrate,” Botha told journalists outside court.

The matter was referred to the regional court, where the woman will appear again on October 15.

In August, she was granted supervised visits with the child, now six months old. The baby is in a place of safety.

The newborn was rescued in a dramatic four-hour operation in February.