WMACA are extremely pleased with the sentences handed down to Belinda and Stefanus Bezuidenhout by Judge Mokate Noko in the Johannesburg High Court today.
Sentenced as follows:
Accused 1 Mother :
1. 2 Counts of Child abuse: 10 years for Little D, and 10 years for Baby B
2. Murder – life
3. Rape – life
She intends to appeal judgements and conviction
Accused 2 Father:
1. Accessory to Murder -10 years
2. Rape – life
3. 2 Counts of Child abuse: 5 years for Little D and 10 years for Baby B
Again, we praise the way this case was handled by the investigating officer, the Prosecutor Riana Williams, Judge Noko, and all the professionals who were involved on the forensics side.
“We trust that these sentences are sending a strong message to would-be offenders and to those people standing by, not reporting their observations or suspicions of child abuse.
We can only hope that Baby B can rest in peace and that her older brother will find healing and find his place in life, in a happy and loving home,” said Miranda Jordan, WMACA Founder
SUCCESS OF THE HIGH COURT – FAILURE OF MAGISTRATE’S COURTS
WMACA’s Head of Advocacy and Child Protection Specialist, Luke Lamprecht, says the organisation, that has been in the Child Protection field for 30 years, call for URGENT reform in the two-tier court system, because “if this case had remained in the Magistrate’s court, these two baby killers would probably have never seen a day in jail,” he said.
All child abuse cases should be heard in the high court, or in specialised courts specifically geared to handle these cases, with highly trained officials in place, from the investigating officers to the court officials.
It is blatantly obvious that important cases involving children are getting lost in the maelstrom of poor investigations and the inefficiencies within the Magistrate’s Court system and devastating the lives of the already traumatised victims. (We have already informed the media of several of these, and are escalating them to the NPA.)
We also have to focus on Law Enforcement: Too often, when cases ARE reported, police counter with “where’s the evidence?” but, as Luke Lamprecht has said so often: “What a child tells you IS evidence”, and a good investigator and prosecutor will see it as such.
And then there is the issue of the social workers who place children back within their abusive environments.
When will these systems be held accountable? They have blood on their hands.
The South African Child Protection System needs a complete overhaul, because our children are under attack.
** ENDS **
Thank you
For further comment:
Luke Lamprecht (WMACA Advocacy and Child Protection Specialist) – 065 168 2971
Miranda Jordan (WMACA Founder and Director) – 083 250 6821
We will be bringing out an opinion piece on the shortcomings of the lower courts in the near future.
