Parents Convicted for Human Trafficking and Child Neglect of Their 6 Months Old Baby Boy
The Pretoria High Court convicted and found guilty a couple from Booysens in Pretoria, Wayne Loubser (36) and Justine Loubser (32) for child neglect, common assault and failure to register a child. Justine was further found guilty of human trafficking.
This is after it was put on record in court that after the couple had the baby in April 2020 they did not register the child at the Department of Home Affairs with the intention of selling the baby and for the baby not to be traced back to them.
A woman, Saunders, who owned a food cart in Booysens met the couple around July /August 2020. She first met Wayne who asked her for food from the food cart, the following day Wayne came with his wife, Justine to introduce her and the baby who was two months old at the time. Wayne proceeded to ask Saunders for R50 in order to buy nappies for the baby. Saunders asked her daughter in-law to go buy them and gave them to the couple. From then Sounders continued to buy nappies and baby formula for the baby.
It was also put on record in court that the couple made the baby drink cool aid while the father ate the baby formula. The court also heard that the couple repeatedly assaulted the baby a number of times on different occasions. The mother would take the baby to her work place at a pub while the father would drop the child off at Saunders’ food cart while intoxicated. A doctor who examined the baby testified in court that on the 06 November 2020 she completed a J88-medical form which stated that the baby had bruises that were 5 days old on the head, chest and right arm and had rush on his buttocks. Also, the couple had missed appointments and went weeks later for the child vaccination at the clinic in order for the nurses not to see the bruises.
On two separate occasions the parents individually tried to sell the baby to Saunders, the father approached Saunders first and offered to give her the baby for R2000.00 and asked to go with her to the Department of Home affairs to register the baby as hers. While the mother on 03 November 2020 approached Saunders and offered to give the baby to her for a fee of R2500.00 because she wanted to live her husband and Pretoria. The following day on 04 November Wayne came back to the food cart to enquire if Saunders considered his offer, Saunders informed him that his wife also tried to sell the baby for R2500.00. Wayne then reduced his price to R1000.00.
On 05 November midday, Justine went to the food cart to ask Saunders to reconsider buying the baby and reduced her offer to R500.00.
On 06 November, Wayne went to the food cart to Saunders and threatened to kill the baby if she does not buy him. Later that day the mother also went to the food cart without the baby, when Saunders enquired about the baby she told her that he was home because he fell from the bed.
An informer who witnessed this happen called and reported the matter to the police. The Police together with Saunders set an entrapment for the couple. The police gave Saunders R500.00 to buy the baby from the couple. The exchange took place outside the couple’s house between Justine and Saunders while Wayne was inside the house. The mother took the money and gave Saunders the baby and returned back to the house. Immediately after, the police went inside the house, confiscated the money and arrested the couple.
The baby was taken to a health care facility for observation and is currently in safe care.
The couple has been in custody since their arrest.
The matter was postponed to 01 February 2022 for sentencing.
Issued by:
Lumka Mahanjana
NPA North Gauteng Regional Spokesperson: DPP Pretoria
073 002 0000 lmahanjana@npa.gov.za