A woman who kidnapped and trafficked her eight-year-old niece was on Thursday sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Pietermaritzburg regional court.
Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, said the 22-year-old woman had visited her paternal home in Caluza, KwaZulu-Natal in 2017 and whisked the child away without informing other members of the family.
To lure the child into her trap, the aunt allegedly promised to buy her an ice-cream.
Explained Ramkisson-Kara: “They were transported by two unknown men to a house in East Street where the woman met another man who took the child into the bedroom. The man raped the child twice before the aunt took her away to an informal settlement where she bathed her.”
The aunt and child were located the next day by a family member.
“She [the child] was taken to Edendale Thuthuzela Care Centre, where she received the necessary psychosocial services, counselling, and support,” said Ramkisson-Kara
The aunt was arrested two days later.
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