Pretoria Mother Who Killed Child Over Cheating Husband Sentenced to 20 Years
- Mary Bokaba, who killed her two young daughters, has been sentenced to 20 years of direct imprisonment for the crime
- Bokaba was married to the father of her two-month-old daughter and stayed with him
- Her sentence was reduced because she was a first-time offender and she was remorseful
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PRETORIA - Saulsville mother, Lehlogonolo Mary Bokaba, has been sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment after being found guilty of killing her two young daughters.
The 28-year-old mother received 10 years for each of her daughter's deaths, with the sentences ordered to run concurrently.
The tragic incident occurred in Saulsville, Pretoria, Gauteng on May 14.
Details leading to the children's deaths
According to Zimoja, the court heard distressing details of Bokaba's life leading up to the crime. Bokaba, who was married to the father of her two-month-old daughter, lived with him in a back room at his parents' house.
According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana, Bokaba realised that her spouse had been continuously unfaithful and was not supporting her or their children.
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Overwhelmed by her circumstances, Bokaba decided to leave her husband and called her mother to assist her to move out the back room.
Bokaba was overwhelmed by emotions
However, before that happened, on the morning of 14 May 2022, Bokaba felt overcome by despair. In her plea statement, she explained that she intended to kill herself and her children to save them from the consequences of growing up without a mother.
Using a cord, she hung her daughters, aged eight years and two months, and then attempted to hang herself, but was unsuccessful.
Bokaba then untied her children, laid them on the bed, and notified her mother-in-law.
The mother-in-law, alerted by a missed call, discovered the tragic scene and called the police. Bokaba was arrested at the scene and has remained in custody since.
Sentence reduced
In court, Judge Mashudu Munzhelele noted that there were substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence of 15 years per count.
These included Bokaba's guilty plea, her status as a first-time offender and the emotional distress under which she committed the crime.
The judge emphasised Bokaba's plea for more support and information available to women in similar situations.
"Bokaba committed the offences under emotional distress. She also pleaded that information should be available to help women who feel they don't have a way out."
The case has highlighted the urgent need for mental health support and resources for women facing severe emotional and domestic challenges.
As Bokaba begins her sentence, there is a renewed call for increased awareness and assistance for those in distressing situations to prevent such tragedies in the future.
Doc accused of killing kids in New Zealand
In a similar report, Briefly News detailed that the trial of South African doctor Lauren Dickason, accused of killing her three daughters, was ongoing in a New Zealand court.
Wendy Fawkes testified about her daughter's worsening mental health problems, which intensified after the family moved to New Zealand.
Lauren had relocated to New Zealand with her daughters, six-year-old Liane and two-year-old twins Maya and Karla, to join her husband, orthopaedic surgeon Dr Graham Dickason.
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Source: Briefly News
