A woman who kidnapped a teenager's baby a decade ago has been sentenced to an effective six years in prison.
The 34-year-old woman was sentenced in the Empangeni Regional Court in Kwazulu Natal (KZN) this week after pleading guilty.
A spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority in KZN, Natasha Kara, says the mother was only 16-years-old when the accused approached her in July of 2011 to inquire about the week-old baby.
She says since the mother was a child herself, she did not have an ID book and therefore the baby also did not have a birth certificate.
The accused, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the minor, pretended to work for a government department where she would be able to assist the young mother in obtaining the necessary documents and financial assistance.
Kara says the accused convinced the teenager's guardian to allow her to go with her to the Jozini CBD to start the documentation process.
She says when the three got to town, the accused gave the mother money and instructed her to buy some food, promising to stay with the infant.
Kara says even though the young mother was reluctant, she left the baby with the accused and went into the shop. As soon as the mother was out of sight, the accused fled and took the child to Johannesburg.
Kara says years and years went by and the victim never stopped searching for her baby.
According to a victim impact statement facilitated by the court, the mother cried for days and spent years looking for her child, spending a lot of money on paternity tests and even consulted traditional healers to locate her baby boy.
Kara says eventually after nine years, the matter came to light when the accused and her boyfriend were separating and the child's paternity came into question.
