Child Minder Arrested for Neglect After Toddler Is Hospitalised in Jeffreys Bay

• A childminder in Jeffreys Bay was arrested after a two-year-old girl was found with serious upper body injuries on New Year’s Day
• Police say the woman was allegedly under the influence of alcohol when the child was harmed
• The toddler is receiving hospital treatment, and the childminder faces charges of child neglect and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm

A 59-year-old childminder was arrested in Jeffreys Bay on Saturday after a two-year-old girl was discovered with open wounds to her upper body in the early hours of 1 January 2026.

According to reports by IOL, Eastern Cape police indicated that officers were called to a home on Govan Mbeki Street in the Tokyo Sexwale on Thursday morning (1 January 2026), following a complaint about an injured toddler.

Police open inquest after finding neglected toddler

When police arrived, they found the child with multiple wounds to her upper body.

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It remains unclear how the injuries were sustained. Authorities noted that the childminder was allegedly under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. The toddler was taken to the hospital and admitted for medical treatment.

The woman has been charged with child neglect and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. She is expected to appear in the Humansdorp Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

SAPS comments on the case

Reports state that acting Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner, Major General Thandiswa Kupiso, condemned the incident.

“It is deeply concerning that priority was allegedly given to entertainment and liquor over the safety of a helpless child,” she said.

Kupiso confirmed that the Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) will conduct a thorough investigation in collaboration with the Department of Social Development.

Police have not released further details about the child’s current condition but emphasised that her welfare remains a priority.

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Johannesburg mother charged with child neglect

In a related incident, a Johannesburg mother was arrested and appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrates Court on 31 July 2025, after she was charged with child neglect. The mother woman, along with three men, was charged with attempted murder after forcing her four-year-old child to smoke drugs. The woman and her accomplices went viral after a video of them making the child smoke drugs trended, leading to an arrest by the police.

Briefly News previously reported South Africa demanded justice for seven-year-old Cwecwe, a Bergview learner who was raped allegedly raped. The incident allegedly occurred on 14 October 2024, with the child's mother saying she found out about the incident the following day after the child complained of pain. Following calls from the public, the Minister of Basic Education, Siviwe Gwarube, called for the South African Police Service to deliver swift justice in the investigation of a rape case. South Africans also took to the streets in protest of the high rates of abuse of children in the country.

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In another incident, four babies left unattended at an unregistered creche in Johannesburg died after the place caught fire. It is believed that the fire, which ripped through the structure on 19 May 20255, was caused by a heating device and an illegal electrical connection. Emergency Management Services in Johannesburg were called to the scene during the fire. They managed to stop the blaze quickly; however, the little girls had already succumbed to smoke inhalation. The childminder responsible for taking care of the babies disappeared, and no one was able to point out where exactly she had gone after the fire.

Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News