Johannesburg - A four-month-old baby boy who was kidnapped on Tuesday afternoon outside his home in Dobsonville, Soweto, has been found and returned to his family.
The SAPS Anti-Kidnapping Task Team successfully rescued the infant within 24 hours.
SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said that the matter was reported to the SAPS, which immediately mobilised a search party comprised of all relevant specialised units to find the infant safe and unharmed, as well as apprehend those behind the kidnapping.
"The SAPS team traced the baby to the Roodepoort mining area just after 11pm on the same night. The infant was rescued and taken to a nearby health facility for a medical examination. Once cleared, the infant was safely reunited with his parents," said Mathe.
According to Mathe, a manhunt has since been launched for the group of kidnappers who, when police approached the area, fled into the bushes, evading arrest.
Meanwhile, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said that the case against a 52-year-old woman who kidnapped a newborn baby 22 years ago has been postponed to July 10 for sentencing proceedings by the Ermelo Magistrate’s Court.
According to the NPA, she pleaded guilty to the crime and was subsequently convicted of kidnapping a newborn. In her plea, she admitted that her actions were wrong.
"In March 2001, the complainant gave birth to the child in a local hospital and was discharged. On her way to the local taxi rank, she and her relative came across the accused, who walked with them. The relative left the complainant with the accused at the nearby shop," said the NPA.
She then offered to assist the mother by holding the baby after realising that she was in pain and dizzy. The woman then took the baby and informed the mother that she was going to find her relative, but she disappeared.
"The matter was reported to the police, and the accused was arrested in November 2021, after the family member saw a profile of a grown-up child on social media resembling features of the victim’s family. A DNA test was conducted and positively linked the child with her biological mother," added the NPA.
The Star