Latest news with #babyabduction
News24
03-07-2025
- News24
Cape Town woman accused of kidnapping baby to remain behind bars for now
A Cape Town woman accused of abducting a baby in Bellville last weekend, will remain behind bars while the State gathers bail information. Shamiema Jacobs is charged with kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice. The case was p ostponed for a week. A 37-year-old Mitchells Plain woman accused of abducting a days-old Strandfontein baby in a busy Bellville shopping mall last weekend, will remain behind bars for now. When Shamiema Jacobs made her first appearance in the Bellville Magistrate's Court on Thursday, the case was postponed for a week to give the State time to gather bail information. She was arrested on Monday in connection with the baby boy's disappearance and has since been charged with kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice. Jacobs looked slightly bewildered and stared blankly at the magistrate while members of the media took pictures of her in the dock. She wore a scarf around her head, which covered parts of her face, as well as a face mask. The public gallery was packed to capacity as relatives and friends of the Strandfontein family filled the court. Several TikTok influencers also took up seats. The court dealt with media applications for permission to take photographs of the accused. Through her Legal Aid lawyer, Jacobs objected to having cameras inside the courtroom, saying that she 'feared for the safety' of her three children. After Magistrate Theo Marx established that the children were not inside the court, he said: 'Mrs Jacobs, this is an open court, and in the interests of justice, the media will be allowed to broadcast the proceedings and take pictures inside the court.' Prosecutor Salaahuddeen Simon did not object to the media's request. The State requested the postponement for bail information and said it would oppose Jacobs' request for bail. Jacobs' lawyer did not oppose the postponement request. The case is back in court on 10 July. The disappearance of the infant caused widespread panic in the city.
News24
30-06-2025
- News24
‘I just want my baby back' - Cape Town mom pleads for safe return of abducted 11-day-old boy
An 11-day-old baby boy from Strandfontein, Cape Town, has still not been found. He was abducted at a mall in Bellville after his mother said she fell ill and needed to use the bathroom. The woman she was with at the mall claimed to be from an organisation assisting mothers with newborn babies. 'He's just a baby, he needs me. Please bring him back safe and sound.' This is the desperate plea of a Strandfontein Village, Cape Town, mother after her 11-day-old baby boy was abducted inside a mall at the weekend. Imaan Sharmar, 25, last held her baby on Saturday, 28 June, at the Middestad Mall in Bellville, where she and a 'lady' enjoyed a meal together before Sharmar said she was set to attend a workshop with the woman on how to navigate motherhood. Sharmar told News24 that she first met the woman in May this year after she unexpectedly showed up at the family home. READ | Ransom payment of over R100 000 led to rescue of abducted Bloemfontein pupil The woman identified herself as 'Chivon' and claimed she was from The Zoe Project in Retreat. The Zoe Project is a well-established NGO that has been providing maternal health care programmes for vulnerable women, girls and babies for about 25 years. According to Sharmar, the woman first arrived in a nurse's uniform at her family home in Strandfontein, armed with documentation about her (Sharmar). Sharmar said: The information she had [about] me looked legit. I have no idea how she knew where I stayed. She knew I was pregnant and basically only needed to update my personal information. She already knew stuff about me. She said not once did she feel uncomfortable with the woman's questions as she thought she had good intentions. 'I have seen people from The Zoe Project at the Lentegeur Hospital in Mitchells Plain, and so I thought I could trust her. She asked me if I had a birthing plan and told me about how she will be assisting me with the birth and providing me and the baby with care packs,' Sharmar said. Lisalee Solomons/News24 Sharmar said she was told that she would be registered for a postnatal and antenatal programme to join classes with other new mothers. 'It provides counselling and classes that we would be attending, like doing arts and crafts, showing us how to handle the baby. It's not the first time that I have given birth, so I am aware of how to care for a newborn baby. 'I was very keen on joining because I'm going to be on maternity leave, so it would be like an extra hobby for me to do,' said Sharmar. 'Then she left. I never heard or saw her again until Saturday when my son was taken from me,' a sobbing Sharmar said. READ | Kidnapped Gqeberha woman dropped off by abductors, reunited with family She said she could not stop thinking about the day her 2.1kg boy was taken. 'The woman picked me and my baby up with an Uber and we went to the mall in Bellville. She said I had to bring my baby as he would be part of the class I was going to attend that day. 'People need to understand that I did not take my then 9-day-old to the mall for fun and games. I took my boy because I thought I was going to a class for newborn mothers based on what this lady told me,' said Sharmar. She said when they got to the mall, they had a bite to eat at the Hungry Lion eatery. 'We ordered the food and went to sit down and eat. I ate a small [bit] of the food then I started feeling sick and dizzy. I wasn't feeling well at all, so I packed up the food and put it in my bag, and then we went to stand at the entrance waiting for our ride,' said Sharmar. She said her body was getting weaker and she asked the woman with her if they could sit down somewhere as she was feeling off balance. Sharmar still had her baby firmly in her arms, at that point. 'As we were sitting, I eventually stood up, handed my child to the woman and threw up inside a bin next to me,' said Sharmar. She recalls the woman telling her to go to the toilet to wash her face. Sharmar said: The woman had my bag, her bag and my baby on her. When I came out of the toilet, she was gone. I wasn't even in the toilet for five minutes. Frantically she ran up and down the mall, trying to locate the woman. She even went back to the entrance they stood at to see where the woman was with her child. 'I called the police from a shopper's phone and told them what happened. The mall was able to show me footage of what took place and it showed the woman with my child,' said Sharmar. She said her heart is in pieces, and she is asking the woman to return her son to her. 'I haven't allowed it to sink in yet. I am on the verge of most likely having a breakdown. But I'm trying to be strong because I have another child, a daughter who depends on me. 'It might seem from the outside that I am strong, but inside, I really am not okay. I see my boy's face in front of me. He is only 11 days old; he needs his mother; he needs my breast milk,' sobbed Sharmar. Lisalee Solomons/News24 She said her husband had not yet met his son. 'I am broken, absolutely broken. My husband hasn't met his son yet. We were going to register our son at home affairs on Wednesday. This is all just so heartbreaking for me,' said Sharmar. She said the police had not yet briefed the family on any updates on the case. Western Cape police spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi said the investigation continues. Sharmar said: I keep thinking if he's drinking, clothed, is his nappy being changed? What are her intentions with my son? What is she feeding him to drink because he needs my breast milk. I just want my baby back. 'Please drop him off somewhere safe and sound and dress him warmly. Wrap him in his blankets. He's only a few days old; he doesn't deserve this, he needs his mother. Please just bring my baby back safely, I am begging you,' said a tearful Sharmar. Founder of The Zoe Project, Tracey Aitken, told News24 that her NGO had no knowledge of the mother of the missing baby nor had it had any dealings with her. Aitken said: The NGO does not donate monies nor do we offer post-natal programmes or free scans to expectant mothers. All our volunteers are based at government hospitals and MOUs (midwife obstetric units) and do not do one-on-one visits at expectant mothers' homes. 'The name of The Zoe Project has been fraudulently used as a front by criminals acting on their own. There is no person with the name or description of 'Chivon', who abducted the child, working as a volunteer for our organisation.' She confirmed that The Zoe Project was 'not under investigation by the police' and was more than willing to cooperate with the investigation, wherever possible. She said the organisation and its staff had a good relationship with the communities in which they work. 'We hope and pray that the little baby will be found and returned safely to his mom.' Strandfontein Community Policing Forum chairperson Sandra Schuter urged residents to be on the lookout for any person 'suddenly appearing' with a newborn baby boy. 'If you notice anything suspicious, please report it immediately to the police. That baby could be little Mogamat, and every piece of information is crucial at this point. We will continue to support baby Sharmar's family throughout this difficult time,' said Schuter. At the time of the baby's disappearance, he was wearing a white babygrow, grey mittens on his hands, a blue vest and was wrapped in a knitted blue blanket with stars on it and a thick white-and-blue baby blanket. Anyone with information can call Crime Stop on 086 001 0111.
The Herald
24-06-2025
- The Herald
Woman arrested in connection with kidnapping of newborn at Joburg clinic
A 21-year-old woman has been arrested in connection with the kidnapping of a three-day-old child from a health clinic in the eastern part of Johannesburg. Police spokesperson Sgt Patricia Mgijima said the 31-year-old mother had taken her infant for a check-up at Margaret Zuma Clinic in the Winnie Mandela section of Tembisa on Monday afternoon. 'The mother wanted to use the toilet. She found the suspect and other women in a queue. The suspect offered to hold her baby so the mother could relieve herself,' said Mgijima. She said the mother came out of the toilet and discovered the suspect had disappeared with her child. CCTV footage showed the woman, who was wearing a black tracksuit, walking out of the clinic with a baby swaddled in a blanket. By mid-morning on Tuesday, police had traced and arrested her at the nearby Dali Mpofu informal settlement. Mgijima said according to the suspect, she wanted to claim the child as her own after she miscarried in May. 'She told us she was scared to tell her family and her partner's family she miscarried.' The baby appeared to be unhurt but is being medically assessed as a precaution. The suspect is expected to appear before the Tembisa magistrate's court soon. Last month, two baby abductions were reported to police. In Durban, a two-week-old baby was found safe after allegedly being kidnapped by a 21-year-old woman who had suffered a miscarriage a few weeks before. Private security firm Rusa said she had allegedly hatched the plan 'so her boyfriend would not dump her' after meeting the newborn's mother at a clinic. In Gqeberha, Sinovuyo Rabula, 22, who had falsely told her boyfriend she was going to have twins, is on trial after two infants were allegedly snatched from the neonatal ICU ward at the Dora Nginza hospital. Police found she had allegedly visited the hospital three times in May, claiming she was pregnant. Doctors did a pregnancy test on Rabula, which came back negative, and referred her to a psychologist on her last visit on May 19, the Herald reported. TimesLIVE
BreakingNews.ie
16-05-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Woman who snatched newborn from hospital will return to prison over 'frenzied' knife attack
A woman who was jailed for snatching a newborn baby from a hospital over 20 years ago is to be returned to prison, after a court found her fully suspended sentence for a 'frenzied' slashing attack on a man she had lured to her apartment was too lenient. Susan McGovern (44) was jailed on Friday for three years by the Court of Appeal, following submissions by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who argued that the fully suspended four-and-a-half-year sentence she received at Waterford Circuit Criminal Court last year was unduly lenient. Advertisement McGovern with a last address at Barker Place apartments, O'Connell Street, Waterford, had pleaded guilty to robbery contrary to Section 14 of the Criminal Justice Theft and Fraud Offences Act, 2001 on May 21st, 2022 at her home address. A charge of Section 3 assault was taken into consideration. She was sentenced by Judge Eugene O'Kelly to four-and-a-half years, suspended in its entirety, on October 10th, 2024. The Court of Appeal heard on Friday that McGovern has a "difficult background", with serious drug addiction issues and has 19 previous convictions, including theft, possession of knives and child abduction. In 2001, McGovern was jailed for five years after she admitted abducting a newborn baby from a maternity hospital in Cork. Advertisement At the time, McGovern was described as a woman with a 'Walter Mitty-like' quality. Cork Circuit Criminal Court was told that McGovern had set up an elaborate plan to abduct a baby which included telling people she was pregnant and buying baby clothes. Delivering judgement at the three-judge Court of Appeal on Friday, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy said McGovern had invited the victim to her home, where she produced and used a carving knife. She said the respondent then sought to minimise her involvement by making a 'totally unfounded allegation' of a sexual nature in relation to the victim which could only have exacerbated the impact of the incident upon him. Advertisement McGovern then maintained this position during her interviews with gardaí and during her engagement with the probation officer, where she not only continued to blame the 'unfortunate victim' but also said she acted in self-defence in grabbing the knife. Ms Justice Kennedy said there could be no doubt but that this incident was rendered more serious by the use of the knife, which caused injury to the victim's face. It was 'fortunate' that the injury had not been more severe, the judge added. Quashing McGovern's sentence, Ms Justice Kennedy said the crux of the DPP's application rested with the suspension of the entire term. She said the court was satisfied that the custody threshold was passed in this case and the suspension of the sentence in full was a 'substantial departure from the norm'. Advertisement Ms Justice Kennedy imposed a new term of four-and-a-half years with the final 18 months suspended on the same terms as in the court below. The sentencing hearing was told that in the early hours of May 21st, 2022, gardaí received a call to attend the scene at Barker Place Apartments. The victim told gardaí that he met McGovern on a night out and walked her home. Once there, McGovern changed her clothes, and they began kissing but she then put herself between him and the door so he couldn't leave. Advertisement The victim said that McGovern started asking him for money and then made two phone calls, which he believed were to her drug dealer. He said he then got up to leave as he wanted nothing to do with it. The man said McGovern then grabbed a nine-inch knife from the table and asked for money and his credit card. He gave her €28 in cash from his pocket and then called gardaí. Transcripts from the call set out threats made by McGovern to the victim, whom she refused to allow leave, before making false claims that he was trying to rape her. The victim told gardaí in a statement: 'I was afraid because she was waving the knife at me. I kept the guard on the loudspeaker so they could hear. 'I was in fear for my life during this ordeal. During this altercation I was struck by the knife on my left cheek, along the jawbone,' he said. The court heard that the victim required stitches inside and outside of his jaw. Ireland Blue Flags 2025: Record number of Irish beaches gi... Read More When interviewed, McGovern gave a false version of events, claiming she was acting in self-defence when she was attacked and sexually assaulted by the victim. This account was entirely untrue. McGovern maintained this position when a probation report was prepared, which found her to be at very high risk of reoffending. McGovern later accepted before the sentencing judge that the allegations of sexual assault were totally unfounded. The respondent has 19 previous convictions, including a relevant conviction for possession of a knife in the course of a dispute.
The Herald
06-05-2025
- The Herald
Durban woman arrested 'after kidnapping baby to deceive boyfriend'
According to Rusa, the operation began late on Sunday evening after the mother contacted the Rusa operations centre at about 10pm to report the abduction of her baby. 'Reaction officers circulated the missing child's information and received 34 tip-offs and leads in the 11 hours leading to the arrest and recovery,' said Rusa. Leads poured in from across the country, including Pietermaritzburg, Limpopo, Cape Town and Johannesburg. Many tip-offs involved reports of women returning home with newborns and acting suspiciously. During the early hours of Monday morning, the search was narrowed to the Chesterville area in KwaZulu-Natal. 'Believing the female suspect was in possession of the kidnapped baby and planning to flee the province, Reaction officers blocked entry and exits and kept observation while the Rusa helicopter searched the area for a vague location provided,' said Rusa. 'A woman behaving suspiciously with a newborn baby was spotted. Upon being stopped and questioned by Rusa officers, it was confirmed the baby in her possession was [the missing newborn]. 'The woman had to be removed from the area after a mob threatened to kill her.' She was arrested. The case is under investigation by the family violence, child protection and sexual offences unit at SAPS Cato Manor. TimesLIVE
