A 43-year-old woman is expected to appear in the Mahwelereng magistrate’s court on Wednesday after being arrested for allegedly concealing the birth of her stillborn child.
Police arrested the woman on Sunday in Lesodimotlana village in the Tinmyne policing area of Limpopo’s Waterberg district after a neighbour called them.
Police spokesperson Col Malesela Ledwaba said suspicions were raised by a community member. “According to the information, the suspect, a mother of seven including a 17-month-old baby, was pregnant and one of the community members discovered the suspect's pregnancy was no longer visible and notified the police,” he said.
When questioned, the woman allegedly admitted she had been pregnant for about five months before giving birth to a stillborn baby on August 22. “She wrapped the foetus in a towel and buried it behind the house. The foetus was found in a shallow grave.”
According to South African law, the woman faces charges under the General Law Amendment Act, which makes it a criminal offence to dispose of the body of a newborn child without a lawful burial order, to conceal its birth.
While concealment of birth was not a recognised offence under common law, it has been a statutory offence in South Africa since 1845. Convictions carry a fine or imprisonment of up to three years.
TimesLIVE
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