Murder suspect's baby removed

2010-03-12 09:54

Sonja van Buul, Beeld

Vanderbijlpark - A young mother who is charged with the murder of her baby boy became hysterical on Thursday when her newborn baby was taken away from her at the court cells in Vanderbijlpark.

Wilhelmina Johanna (Mimmie) Kraft, 24, who allegedly murdered her 4-month-old son, Daniël, gave birth to another baby boy in Diepkloof prison on January 31.

Kraft was arrested on June 24 last year after presumably smothering Daniël and then placing him on Barrage Road where he was run over by a vehicle.

"The baby's life and safety may be in danger if he's left in his mother's care any longer in the prison where she's awaiting trial," Tinus Oosthuizen, investigating officer in the murder case, said outside the court on Thursday.

Kraft took the baby from the prison to court on Thursday with a small bottle of milk, a blanket, a few disposable nappies and the clothes he had on.

Murder case postponed

Court staff scurried about trying to care for the baby after he was removed from the court cells.

Daniël's father, Danny Labuschagne, 21, was not in court on Thursday.

Daniël's body was set on fire in the long, dry grass amongst the prickly pears along the side of the road, where his body was found later at the Stefano Park smallholdings outside Vanderbijlpark, about 200m from Kraft and Labuschagne's flat.
 
Kraft and Labuschagne also have a 3-year-old daughter who is in foster care.

Daniël was buried on top of another sister, who died a day after her birth in 2005. The cause of the baby girl's death is unknown.

The murder case was postponed to March 25 because Kraft is apparently extremely upset after being separated from her youngest child.

While she was being detained in the Vanderbijlpark police cells, Kraft tried to commit suicide twice by hanging herself with her jacket.

- Beeld