“She Wouldn’t Stop Crying”: Durban Mother Kills 3-Year-Old Daughter With Rolling Pin
A Durban woman brutally killed her three-year-old daughter using a rolling pin after the child refused to eat and soiled herself.
The shocking incident, which occurred in May 2022, was detailed in a chilling court plea that has stunned many across the country.
Toddler’s Crying Triggered Violent Attack
According to the woman’s plea submitted at the Durban High Court seen by IOL, the events unfolded on May 31, 2022, after she had returned from a clinic visit with her youngest son, who suffers from glaucoma.
The toddler refused to eat and started crying, which triggered the 35-year-old mother’s rage.
“She got angry and frustrated and hit the deceased with a rolling pin all over her body as well as on her head,” said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara.
As the children continued crying, the situation escalated. The mother said she became overwhelmed when the toddler soiled herself. While washing the child, she continued to beat her—then strangled her to death. Her nine-year-old daughter tried to intervene, but the woman said she was too enraged to stop.
Only when the toddler stopped breathing did she realise the gravity of what she had done. She dressed the child, wrapped her in a blanket, and phoned her husband in the UK, who alerted a doctor and contacted the police.
Plea Details Paint Picture of Trauma and Destitution
In her Section 112 plea, the woman admitted to murder and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. She explained that she had a troubled past, having been raped at the age of 17 and attempting suicide. In 2019, she was destitute and living in a shelter when she gave birth to the deceased.
The mother said she met a woman on social media who offered to foster the baby. The child remained with the foster mother for three years until the accused’s husband—living in the United Kingdom—encouraged her to bring the child home so they could live as a family.
Shortly after, however, her husband returned to the UK due to visa issues, leaving her alone with their three children: a nine-year-old, the deceased, and a one-year-old baby. She admitted that during her bouts of anger, she would beat the children and throw things at them.
Foster Mother Heartbroken
The woman who fostered the toddler from the age of three weeks until just before her death shared a victim impact statement in court.
“She said that she is heartbroken and that the incident has adversely affected her. She also mentioned that she would have taken the child back if the accused had simply said she was not coping,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
Court Sentences Mother to 20 Years Behind Bars
The Durban High Court sentenced the woman to an effective 20 years in prison for the murder. While deviating from a possible life sentence, the court considered her guilty plea, her background of abuse, her mental health struggles, and the fact that she had already been in custody for three years.
“The court accepted that the accused had been a victim of physical and sexual abuse,” the NPA said. “It also acknowledged that she required ongoing medication for various conditions.”