The Stilfontein Regional Court has convicted and sentenced 35-year-old Lerato Valencia Pokonyane to 18 years’ imprisonment for the murder of her three-month-old daughter. In addition to the custodial sentence, the court declared Pokonyane unfit to possess a firearm and unsuitable to work with children in terms of Section 120 of the Children’s Act.
The conviction follows the discovery of the infant’s body on the morning of Thursday, 13 January 2022, beside the N12 Road between Stilfontein and Potchefstroom. Police responded to reports of a lifeless baby at the location and found the child with her hands and feet bound together with plastic and her face covered with material resembling a bandage. A plastic bag containing baby clothes and the infant’s hospital booklet was recovered at the scene. Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) pronounced the baby dead.
An intensive investigation was launched under the leadership of Detective Warrant Officer Tebogo Lawrence Tlhakanye of the Stilfontein Detectives. The inquiry led investigators to Kuruman, where Pokonyane, a national of Lesotho, was identified as the suspect. She was subsequently arrested while attempting to flee the country through the Ficksburg Border Post.
The court heard all evidence presented during proceedings before delivering the sentence. Pokonyane will serve the 18-year term in a correctional facility.
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