A 36-year-old woman who left her two children unattended while she went drinking at a tavern has been sentenced to two years direct imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years, after found guilty of child neglect in the Free State.
The ruling, handed down by the Phuthaditjhaba Magistrate’s Court on Friday, February 14, follows a disturbing incident in which she abandoned her two young children, aged four and one, alone in a house while she was at a tavern.
Police spokesperson Constable Maselela Langa said the case came to light on Wednesday, August 7, 2024, when an anonymous caller tipped off a concerned community member about the children being left unattended.
Upon arriving at the house, the complainant found the toddlers alone and immediately sought help.
"Efforts by the community to locate the mother yielded no success," said Langa.
The matter was escalated to the police, who swiftly launched an investigation.
The mother was later traced and arrested for child neglect.
After months of legal proceedings, the court imposed a suspended sentence, meaning she will avoid jail time unless she reoffends within the next five years.
The investigation was led by Detective Sergeant Malefu Mbule of the Phuthaditjhaba FCS Unit, who played a pivotal role in ensuring justice for the neglected children.
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