Mom who dumped newborn in drain was 'embarrassed' to have third child out of wedlock

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Durban - A Newlands mother who dumped her newborn baby in a stormwater drain in February last year pleaded guilty to attempted murder in the Ntuzuma Magistrate's Court. The 33-year-old mother who cannot be named, said she was unemployed and a mother of three children. "My first two children, currently 16 and 10, were born out of wedlock to different fathers." The woman said she lived with her mother and was financially reliant on her since 2011. "In May 2018 I fell pregnant for the third time to a man I was dating at the time. In July 2018, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy.

"My mother became progressively weaker and more ill and bedridden and in this regard I took over the care and nursing to ensure her recovery."

The woman said she was too embarrassed to tell her family that she was pregnant for the third time out of wedlock given the circumstances and concealed the pregnancy from her family.

"The only person aware of my pregnancy was the father of my child who was completely unsupportive.

"As the pregnancy progressed I was forced to wear loose fitting clothing to conceal my condition. On February 10, I travelled with the father of my child to a casino in Pietermaritzburg.

"During which time I experienced early onset of labour and lay on the backseat of the car to ease my discomfort.

She said they argued and he swore at her and left her on the side of the road and drove off.

"Still trying to conceal my pregnancy, unable to get to hospital and without financial support for admission to hospital, I went into my home at around 11pm by which time family members were asleep.

"I them made myself comfortable on the couch while my labour pains progressed.

"At approximately 1am I fetched a blanket and a pair of scissors and proceeded onto a darkened staircase outside of the house where I gave birth, completely unassisted to a baby girl.

"After severing the umbilical cord with a pair of scissors and making sure the infant was safe, I noticed I began to bleed profusely."

The woman said she wrapped the baby in a blanket and tried to stop her bleeding.

"It was at this stage that I became emotionally overwhelmed by a feeling of abandonment and desperation."

The woman said she then made the fateful decision to search for suitable place to deposit her newborn child where she would hopefully be discovered.

"I then walked in the dark, proceeded towards a school which I knew would open in a few hours and someone would find my child."

She said she saw the security and was unable to access the school. The woman saw a boundary wall at a nearby church which required her to jump over the wall.

"It was then, with dawn approaching and becoming anxious to conceal the birth of my child and not return home with the child, I ceased thinking logically.

"While I proceeded towards my house I noticed a stormwater drain. I also knew the area to have substantial early morning pedestrian traffic.

The woman said she made the decision to place the infant on the ledge of the stormwater drain at around 4:30am. She then returned home and cleaned up all evidence she had given birth.

The woman said she heard about the rescue of her baby and went to the scene.

"I witnessed my child being recovered. The sight of my infant being recovered, coupled with cheering and jubilation of the crowd of several hundred people completely overwhelmed me with extreme anxiety, deep regret and remorse over my conduct," she said.

She said over the next few days she took a taxi to Addington Hospital in the hope of finding out about her daughter.

A week later she confessed to her uncle who was in the police service about what she did.

"After confessing my family took me to hospital where I underwent a gynaecological procedure and was thereafter arrested.

The woman said despite her depression, she knew what she did was wrong.

NPA spokesperson Natasha Ramkissoon-Kara said correctional officers report was due in April, followed by sentencing.

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