A 20 year-old Leribe woman was last week slapped with a suspended two year jail term after she was found guilty of concealing childbirth.
According to evidence given in the Leribe Magistrate court, 20-year-old Lerato Lefuma of Mokoallong in Leribe connived with her boyfriend to conceal the birth of their child.
“It is stated that Lerato Lefuma went to her boyfriend’s place on September 22 at around 7pm. The woman took a traditional medicine which induced labour pains and the woman gave birth.
“The two strangled the baby, put the corpse in a refuse bag, hired a 4+1 car and drove to Lisemeng Mankoaneng, Leribe where they buried the corpse,” police spokesperson Superintendent Clifford Molefe said.
He said the woman was arrested after a tip-off and she took the police to the place where the child was buried and she subsequently appeared in court on September 29.
“She was sentenced to two years imprisonment or a M200 fine. Both were suspended on condition that she does not commit the same crime for five years,” Superintendent Molefe said, adding that Ms Lefuma’s boyfriend was not charged.
Meanwhile, two Mokhotlong women accused of concealing the birth of a child will soon appear in court.
Superintendent Molefe said the two women aged 24 and 31 allegedly concealed the birth of the former’s child on September 23.
“It is reported that the 24-year-old woman, a mother of three– was pregnant and worked together with the 31-year-old woman to conceal the birth of the 24-year-old woman’s child.
“After giving birth, the 31-year-old woman allegedly helped the nursing mother to strangle the baby girl, put her in a bag and dumped the corpse in a toilet,” he said.
He said the two suspects; both them mothers would soon appear in court once the nursing mother has been released from the hospital.
