Abuse case mom to be assessed

The mother of the 3-year-old Chatsworth girl she is alleged to have abused before the child’s death on November 18 last year, is to be independently examined by a clinical psychologist.

This emerged in the Durban High Court last week after state psychiatrists at Fort Napier Hospital in Pietermaritzburg recently declared the woman fit to stand trial.

She is to attend consultations with Professor Lourens Schlebusch, a clinical psychologist and behavioural medicine expert at the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Last week the court heard that the curator, who is administering the accused’s R1 million pay-out from the Road Accident Fund, had released the funds for the independent consultations.

The Road Accident Fund had compensated the woman for the alleged brain injury she sustained more than 10 years ago after she was hit by a vehicle while crossing a road in Clairwood.

Her name is being withheld to protect the identities of other minors she is alleged to have abused.

State advocate Cheryl Naidu agreed with the submission by the woman’s counsel that the independent evaluation was necessary in view of the brain injury.

Schlebusch is expected to present his report to the court before the next appearance of the accused on March 24.

The woman is facing multiple child abuse charges.

Her mother – the child’s granny – has been charged for her murder and various counts of child abuse.

Both accused have been charged with assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, alternatively child abuse.

Assault

In the indictment, the State claimed that on various occasions between March 1, 2012 and November 19 last year both accused unlawfully and with intent to cause grievous bodily harm committed various acts of assault upon the deceased.

These included striking her with open hands, a ruler, a belt and shoes all over her body.

In addition they allegedly kicked and punched her on her body, picked her up and threw her to the ground and used cigarettes and a hot iron to burn her.

The mother and granny are also facing a second count of child abuse.

It is alleged they denied the child food when she was hungry, resulting in her suffering from malnutrition.

The State claimed they also used her as a pawn in the streets of Durban to beg for money

The granny is also facing a third charge of child abuse relating to the girl.

The State says she ill-treated the child and used a string or a rope to bind her hands and tied her to the bed at night.

In addition, the grandmother is facing a charge of sexual assault and rape concerning the deceased.

On the sexual assault charge, the State claimed on various occasions she unlawfully and intentionally committed various acts of sexual assault against the girl by burning her pubic area with a cigarette and rubbing it with chillies.

On the rape charge, it is alleged the granny inserted a burning cigarette, her fingers and chillies inside the child’s private area.

The pair are also facing various child abuse charges concerning the deceased’s minor brother and sister.