Mom forgives baby's kidnapper
2008-04-08 09:18
Krugersdorp - The baby thief of Reitz in the Free State was found guilty in the regional court on Monday and sentenced to three years' corrective supervision (house arrest).
Alta du Plessis, 44, a sales consultant in the eastern Free State for a Gauteng linen company, admitted on April 2 that she had kidnapped Cornelius Johannes Jacobus Putter (who at the time of the kidnapping had had his mother's surname, Roets, and had been about three months old) on March 2 last year while he had been in the care of his grandmother, Anna Putter, 49, of Burgershoop.
Volksblad was told that the baby's parents, the engaged couple Louisa Roets, 26, and Lionel Putter, 26, had begun taking steps to sue Du Plessis for the trauma through which they had gone.
Du Plessis was arrested on March 12 in Bela-Bela in Limpopo.
Baby was unharmed
Cornelius was found unharmed in her care.
She was later released on bail of R3 000.
In Du Plessis's plead explanation she stated that since her arrest she had shown sincere remorse after "she had faked the pregnancy in order to hold on to her boyfriend" (known to Volksblad as Piet van Niekerk, a wealthy cattle and crop farmer from the Reitz area, who died of natural causes about a month after the kidnapping).
She lost her teaching job "because of the crime and the (media) exposure".
Furthermore the community had "made her feel responsible" when her boyfriend (Van Niekerk) died and she had to receive medical treatment for depression.
Roets testified earlier that she felt that Du Plessis should really be sentenced to imprisonment.
Magistrate Pieter du Plessis then explained to her that "house arrest is imprisonment".
She later testified, "I have forgiven her.
"I would've felt differently if she (Du Plessis) didn't have children."
For the duration of her sentence Du Plessis would have to do community service, amounting to about 576 hours, by cleaning the Reitz police office on Saturdays.
She was to report to the Bethlehem prison within 48 hours of being sentenced and then once a month, and follow various rehabilitation programmes at her own cost.
For the duration of her sentence she would be allowed to attend religious gatherings twice a week and continue her work as a sales consultant in the eastern Free State.
She was also declared unfit to own a firearm or ammunition.