Hammanskraal woman arrested for burying two babies in shallow grave

The grandmother was arrested after community members informed the police of a woman who gave birth, but failed to register the babies at the Department of Home Affairs.

The Department of Health and the police followed up on the concealment of birth reports.

Police spokesperson Brenda Muridili said preliminary investigation revealed that the 32-year-old woman give birth to triplets.

“It is reported that one of the babies was stillborn while the other one died after two days. Upon giving birth, the 32-year-old woman, allegedly with assistance from her 51-year-old mother, buried the stillborn baby in a shallow grave in their yard.

“Two days later the second baby died and he was also buried in a shallow grave. The remains of the two babies (boy and a girl) were exhumed and taken to the government mortuary."

The woman and her remaining baby are in hospital receiving medical attention.

The 51-year-old woman faces charges of concealment of birth and defeating the ends of justice.

The police said a postmortem examination will be conducted to determine the cause of the two babies' deaths. 

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