The Tshilwavhusiku Regional Court sentenced a 26-year-old woman to five years' imprisonment for attempted murder.

The court heard that on 25 August last year a resident of Maebane village in the Kutama area, Nkateko Beauty Rihlampfu, was sitting outdoors with her sister and mother, when she told them that she felt tired and needed to rest in her room. When her sister followed her into the house a few moments later, she found a stark naked Beauty wriggling on the floor. She then rushed out to call her mother. On their return, they found that Beauty had given birth to a baby boy and was sitting hard on top of the new-born baby, shouting that she did not want him.

The mother and daughter tried to pull her off the child, but she violently kicked the baby against the wall. The baby, who was apparently still attached to the mother through the umbilical cord, lost consciousness. Police and emergency personnel were called and Beauty was arrested, charged and placed in police custody.

The accused was later released from custody but tried to make a run for it shortly afterwards and went to Gauteng. The Director of Public Prosecution recommended that a warrant of arrest be issued against her. She was rearrested and the case was put on the court roll again.

The case against the accused was postponed many times for further investigations before the trial could resume. When she appeared in court on 24 January, she was sentenced to a direct jail term of five years.

According to the information which emerged during the trial, the child is well and being taken good care of by his maternal grandmother, along with the other three children of the accused.