Publications
Partners
Sentencing procedures have been postponed in the case of the mother of Baby Daniel, the toddler who was abused and killed in 2016, and her boyfriend to allow more time for the completion of pre-sentencing reports.
The case returns to court on April 1.
Maryke Cloete* was found guilty of child abuse and negligence in the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg in December, while Timothy Naidoo* was convicted of the child's murder.
Cloete's lawyer, Mario Coetzee, told the court on Monday that they secured services of a social worker and that they completed forms for a probation officer and the Department of Correctional Services.
Cloete and Naidoo were on trial for the murder, abuse and neglect of the 3-year-old boy, who died in June 2016.
Extensive injuries
During the trial, the extent of Daniel's injuries, which included a broken elbow, broken femur, injured ribs and a second-degree burns to 60% of his body, emerged.
At the time, Naidoo claimed the boy had fallen into a bath of hot water and, although he seemed fine afterward, he was found dead the next day. Naidoo was not the child's biological father.
But a forensic pathologist testified that the child's injuries were inflicted while he was still alive.
Daniel was never taken to hospital for the burn injuries but had previously been to hospital several times.
In December, Judge Collin Matshitse noted that that Naidoo had taken the toddler to hospital in February 2016, claiming that he fell from a tree.
Matshitse said Naidoo could not explain why the child had bruises below his eye and injuries on his nipples.
During the trial, one witness testified that Cloete wanted to open an attempted murder case against Naidoo.
*Not their real names.
The identities have been withheld to protect the identities of Cloete's other children.
