WOMEN AND MEN AGAINST CHILD ABUSE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS INVITATION – PRE-SENTENCING IN TODDLER MURDER AND CHILD ABUSE CASE – JHB HIGH COURT
High Court Pre-Sentencing in Chilling Child Abuse and Murder Case of Baby B and Little D – Parents Nearly Escaped Justice due to Magistrate’s Court
Date: Monday, September 16, 2024
Location: Johannesburg High Court
Dear Media Colleagues,
The WMACA Advocacy team kindly invites a journalist from your team to cover theupcoming High Court proceedings in the devastating child abuse and murdercase of Baby B and her surviving brother, Little D.
It is our mission to garner national attention, highlighting the shocking realities of systemic abuse and the fatal failures within the Child Protection system that nearly allowed the perpetrators to escape accountability.
This pivotal case brings to light the critical need for reform in how severe child abuse cases are handled in South Africa. The proceedings will not only address the brutal murder of Baby B but will also focus on children’s rights, emphasizing the importance of systemic change to protect vulnerable children in the future.
On 16 September 2024, Luke Lamprecht, Child Protection Specialist and WMACA’s Advocacy Manager, is scheduled to testify for the State in aggravation of sentence the Johannesburg High Court.
His testimony will address the severe psychological and physical impacts of the horrific abuse endured by Baby B and Little D, and the long-term effects on survivors of child abuse.
We also aim to bring crucial insight into the failures of the Magistrates’ Courts, which initially positioned this case as one of negligence rather than the deliberate murder it ultimately proved to be. The Magistrates’ Courts, due to resource constraints and lack of specialized training, released the parents on a warning—nearly allowing them to escape justice entirely.
It was only when the case escalated to the High Court that proper investigation, expert testimony, and comprehensive examination of the evidence occurred, leading to the conviction of the perpetrators. Luke Lamprecht’s testimony will be key in ensuring the court fully understands the depth of the harm inflicted on these children and the systemic shortcomings that must be addressed.
WMACA ADVOCATES FOR FOCUS ON CHILDREN’S RIGHTS AND SYSTEMIC REFORM
The upcoming appearance presents an opportunity to:
- Advocate for the establishment of specialised child abuse courts with trained personnel to handle these sensitive and complex cases.
- Emphasize the need for urgent reforms in the Courts and in the Child Protection/Welfare arena to protect children’s rights and ensure that no child’s suffering goes unnoticed or unpunished.
- Highlight the broader systemic issues in the South African criminal justice system, as seen in the Public Protector’s recent report on systemic inefficiencies in handling serious cases, further underlining the need for child-focused judicial reforms.
- Focus on failures and mismanagement of cases in the lower courts, and the inadequacies in their infrastructure and maintenance, causing children’s cases to be postponed for YEARS.
WMACA is also extending invitations to both the Department of Social Development (DSD) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to attend the proceedings, as these entities play a crucial role in addressing child abuse and ensuring justice for victims.
This is not just about delivering justice to Baby B and Little D. The sentencing in this case holds significant importance for future victims of child abuse and murder, providing a lens into the broader failures of our justice system to safeguard vulnerable children.
We hope you will join us in covering this important event and reporting on the urgent need for systemic change.
Best regards,
For further information, or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Luke Lamprecht 065 168 2971
Miranda Jordan 083 250 6821
Some background on the case, below:
In June this year, the high court found a couple guilty of the rape and murder of their three-year-old daughter and the abuse of their six-year-old son.
The girl was removed from her parents when she was three, but was inexplicably placed back with them. She died shortly thereafter in 2021.
The mother, aged 29, was found guilty of murder and the father, 40, as an accessory to the crime.
The couple also faced two charges of assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm in that they allegedly poured boiling water on the boy.
They also faced charges of child abuse for allegedly hitting the girl against a cupboard or wall and also hitting her with a hand and shoe and smearing her with faeces. They were accused of assaulting the boy with an electrical cord and their hands, and smearing him with faeces. They faced charges of rape of their daughter and her murder in 2021.
The court acquitted the couple on the charge of assault GBH of the boy, because it could not be established whether the pouring of water on the boy was intentional or was an accident.
On the abuse of the boy, the court found the father guilty and the mother guilty as accessory after the fact. The father was found guilty of child abuse of the girl and the mother guilty as an accessory after the fact.
Women and Men Against Child Abuse’s Luke Lamprecht said the organisation was pleased by the convictions handed down by judge Mokate Noko.
“We would also like to commend all of the state witnesses from the SAPS, the nurse, doctor, forensic pathologist and paramedic for their excellent evidence,” Lamprecht said.
Lamprecht praised the bravery of and the evidence given by the surviving child, who is now in state care.
About WMACA:
Women and Men Against Child Abuse is a Non-Profit organisation, established in 1997. Now in its 27 th year of operation, it remains at the forefront of raising awareness of the many and complicated issues around child abuse, child sexual abuse, infanticide, GBVF, and SGBV, while at the same time providing comprehensive FREE professional treatment services to victims of child abuse at the Kidz Clinics in Alexandra Township and on the East Rand.
WMACA’s Advocacy division focus public, judicial and media attention on important cases to create awareness of all the aspects and issues surrounding child abuse and to put pressure on sometimes inadequate legal processes, in order to move cases involving children through the court system quickly and effectively. Other global issues such as child pornography and human trafficking are also brought to the fore, to educate the public and empower victims.
