A 26-year-old Newcastle mother, accused of the murder of her two daughters, appeared before the Newcastle Magistrates Court on Monday, 13 April.
The victims, sisters aged nine months and five years, were allegedly murdered by their mother during an incident in Kwa-Mathukuza on Thursday, 9 April. The tragedy came to light after a series of phone calls between family members. Amajuba District SAPS spokesperson, Nonjabulo Langa, stated that the suspect’s father was alerted by the children’s father, who had reportedly received a confession from the suspect via telephone.
Langa said: “The suspect’s father proceeded to his daughter’s house. Upon arrival, the suspect was nowhere to be found. He found his two grandchildren in the bedroom covered in blood with their throats slit.”
The children were tragically declared dead at the scene. Following the discovery, the suspect fled the crime scene but was later apprehended by police in Madadeni. Langa further confirmed that investigators recovered two bloodstained knives from under the suspect’s bed.
During her court appearance, the magistrate formally read the charges to the mother before inquiring about her legal representation. The accused confirmed that she was unable to appoint a private attorney and would instead rely on the services of Legal Aid South Africa.
To allow sufficient time for the processing of her legal aid application, the case has been postponed to Monday, 20 April. The accused remains in custody.
