A R50 note that blew up against a fence sparked a horrific Christmas Day drunken domestic dispute which ended with a 10-month old baby boy dying in hospital, and his mother being arrested in connection with his death.
The baby had allegedly been thrown to the ground by his 28-year mother during an argument with his 24-year old father.
He suffered at home for 10 days before being taken to hospital where succumbed to his injures on Tuesday this week.
Uitenhage police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Gerda Swart said the woman was arrested yesterday and was expected to appear in the Uitenhage Magistrate’s Court today where she would be charged with child abuse and assault with the intention to do grievous bodily harm, among other charges.
Swart said it was alleged that the mother had an argument with the father at their home in Stephen Street, Blikkiesdorp in Kamesh on the outskirts of Uitenhage at about 8pm on Christmas Day.
“It is further alleged that the mother picked up her baby boy and threw the child at the father. The child fell to the ground in the process.
"The mother left the house and the father picked up the baby and took him inside the house.
"The mother returned home the next day and was told to take the baby for medical treatment, which she allegedly refused to do.”
Swart said Kamesh police were informed about the incident on January 4 and they immediately took the baby to the Uitenhage Provincial Hospital where the child was admitted. The baby was then transferred to Livingstone Hospital and, finally, Dora Nginza Hospital where he died in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on Tuesday morning.
“Police are awaiting the results of a postmortem examination conducted on the body, which will determine the exact cause of death. Investigations are, however, continuing into the death,” Swart said.
Swart said neighbours alerted police to the baby’s plight after hearing his cries.
“The injuries to the baby included a fractured left arm, multiple internal and head injuries.
“The baby’s father, who is not married to the mother of the child, stayed with the baby when it was taken to the respective hospitals,” she said.
When visited at his one-roomed shack yesterday, the impoverished, unemployed father painted a picture of a drunken Christmas Day spree, apparently fuelled by the fluke discovery of a R50 note.
Describing the efforts he and the unemployed mother had gone through to get alcohol to “enjoy Christmas Day”, the 24-year-old man said it had been windy in Kamesh and that he had noticed a piece of paper blow against the fence outside the shack.
“I found that it was a R50 note and I thought how lucky that was. We then added some money to that and managed to get a five litre box of wine which we drank during the course of the day. We also got other alcohol and we got very drunk,” he said.
Describing more details of fights and arguments that had taken place in the vicinity of his shack, the father confirmed that the baby had been thrown and that verbal efforts he made were unsuccessful in getting the child to a doctor.
“I first noticed the swelling on the baby’s arm when I changed his shirt a few days later, but I could not get the baby taken to the clinic or hospital.
“I also noticed during the days that the baby’s cries were not normal baby’s cries, they were bad cries, and that it must have been in pain. There were also big purple bruises on the baby’s legs,” he said.
The father, who said he believed the mother “felt sorry for what had happened” said he was heartbroken by the death and that he planned to support her in court.
“We had discussed plans for this baby, how to bring him up and things,” he said.
The Herald
'Mom throws child, refuses to take him to doctor'
A R50 note that blew up against a fence sparked a horrific Christmas Day drunken domestic dispute which ended with a 10-month old baby boy dying in hospital, and his mother being arrested in connection with his death.
The baby had allegedly been thrown to the ground by his 28-year mother during an argument with his 24-year old father.
He suffered at home for 10 days before being taken to hospital where succumbed to his injures on Tuesday this week.
Uitenhage police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Gerda Swart said the woman was arrested yesterday and was expected to appear in the Uitenhage Magistrate’s Court today where she would be charged with child abuse and assault with the intention to do grievous bodily harm, among other charges.
Swart said it was alleged that the mother had an argument with the father at their home in Stephen Street, Blikkiesdorp in Kamesh on the outskirts of Uitenhage at about 8pm on Christmas Day.
“It is further alleged that the mother picked up her baby boy and threw the child at the father. The child fell to the ground in the process.
"The mother left the house and the father picked up the baby and took him inside the house.
"The mother returned home the next day and was told to take the baby for medical treatment, which she allegedly refused to do.”
Swart said Kamesh police were informed about the incident on January 4 and they immediately took the baby to the Uitenhage Provincial Hospital where the child was admitted. The baby was then transferred to Livingstone Hospital and, finally, Dora Nginza Hospital where he died in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on Tuesday morning.
“Police are awaiting the results of a postmortem examination conducted on the body, which will determine the exact cause of death. Investigations are, however, continuing into the death,” Swart said.
Swart said neighbours alerted police to the baby’s plight after hearing his cries.
“The injuries to the baby included a fractured left arm, multiple internal and head injuries.
“The baby’s father, who is not married to the mother of the child, stayed with the baby when it was taken to the respective hospitals,” she said.
When visited at his one-roomed shack yesterday, the impoverished, unemployed father painted a picture of a drunken Christmas Day spree, apparently fuelled by the fluke discovery of a R50 note.
Describing the efforts he and the unemployed mother had gone through to get alcohol to “enjoy Christmas Day”, the 24-year-old man said it had been windy in Kamesh and that he had noticed a piece of paper blow against the fence outside the shack.
“I found that it was a R50 note and I thought how lucky that was. We then added some money to that and managed to get a five litre box of wine which we drank during the course of the day. We also got other alcohol and we got very drunk,” he said.
Describing more details of fights and arguments that had taken place in the vicinity of his shack, the father confirmed that the baby had been thrown and that verbal efforts he made were unsuccessful in getting the child to a doctor.
“I first noticed the swelling on the baby’s arm when I changed his shirt a few days later, but I could not get the baby taken to the clinic or hospital.
“I also noticed during the days that the baby’s cries were not normal baby’s cries, they were bad cries, and that it must have been in pain. There were also big purple bruises on the baby’s legs,” he said.
The father, who said he believed the mother “felt sorry for what had happened” said he was heartbroken by the death and that he planned to support her in court.
“We had discussed plans for this baby, how to bring him up and things,” he said.
The Herald