Kakamas parents avoid jail after baby removed due to neglect
A 39-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman were arrested in Kakamas on September 21, 2025, after their baby was removed from their care due to signs of neglect.
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THE PARENTS of a nine-month-old baby were each sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years, by the Regional Court in Kakamas after being found guilty of child neglect.
The 39-year-old man and 32-year-old woman were apprehended in Kakamas on September 21 last year, following the child’s removal from their care due to her poor physical condition and signs of neglect.
The baby was admitted to Harry Surtie Hospital in Upington for medical tests and was subsequently placed in the care of her grandmother.
The case was investigated by Sergeant Derick Dippenaar of the Kakamas SPAS Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit. ZF Mgcawu district commissioner Major-General Monica Sebili commended Sgt Dippenaar for his diligent work in ensuring the parents were held accountable for the neglect.
The suspended sentence handed down on January 23 means the parents will not serve jail time unless they commit another offence during the five-year suspension period.