Pretoria Midwife Sentenced to 23 Years for Death of 9-Day-Old Baby and Assault on Patients

• Yolande Maritz Fouchee, a Pretoria midwife, has been sentenced to 23 years’ imprisonment for culpable homicide involving the death of a 9-day-old baby
• The Pretoria High Court also convicted her on multiple charges, including assault, fraud, and unlawful medical practices
• The court found she had ignored pregnancy complications and administered medication without consent between 2019 and 2020

GAUTENG - The Pretoria High Court has sentenced Yolande Maritz Fouchee (48), the former midwife to an effective 23 years’ direct imprisonment for a string of serious offences involving pregnant women and the death of a newborn baby.

Fouchee, the owner of You and Me Midwife-led Maternity Care in Murrayfield, was found guilty of culpable homicide in the death of 9-day-old Noah Von Kloeg, along with six counts of assault, fraud, employing an unqualified person, and five additional counts of assault linked to breach of legal duty.

Why was she jailed and sentenced?

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Fouchee operated as a midwife between 2019 and 2020, providing antenatal care and assisting with births at her practice.

During this period, she reportedly failed to refer patients to specialists despite clear pregnancy complications. Evidence before the court further revealed that Fouchee administered substances such as Cytotec or Oxytocin to pregnant women without their knowledge in an attempt to induce or accelerate labour.

One of the incidents occurred on 3 April 2019, when a patient was induced and later gave birth, but her baby died 9 days later due to complications that were not properly managed.

Two more babies were also born with cerebral palsy as a result of malpractice at the centre.

Fouchee found guilty and sentenced

In April, Fouchee was found guilty on 14 charges ranging from culpable homicide, assault, fraud and contravention of the Nursing Act. The State argued that the deaths and injuries were directly linked to Fouchee’s negligence and unlawful conduct.

Fouchee maintained her innocence throughout the trial, pleading not guilty to all charges. However, the court relied on extensive testimony from victims, expert medical witnesses, and investigative findings, which ultimately proved the State’s case beyond a reasonable doubt, leading to her conviction and sentencing. During sentencing, Judge Papi Mosopa emphasised that Maritz Fouchee showed no remorse for her actions.

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Hospital gives family the wrong baby to bury

In related news on medical negligence, a 29-year-old woman, Ntsebeng Motaung, is reeling after Sebokeng Hospital gave her the body of a baby boy to bury after she was told she had given birth to a stillborn baby girl. After giving birth, the family was allegedly given the wrong body to bury. After waiting for days for the government mortuary to open, the family fetched the baby, but to their surprise, when they got home, they made a shocking discovery. The family had planned to hold a funeral for the baby the next day, on 3 May, but when they unwrapped the body to bathe it as part of a pre-burial traditional ritual, they saw that it was the wrong baby.

Woman gives birth on hospital lawn

Previously, Briefly News reported that community members are calling for a full investigation after a woman allegedly gave birth on the grass outside Wentworth Hospital. Witnesses claim the woman asked for help but was told to wait or go to another department while she was in labour. The incident sparked outrage, with demands for accountability and better emergency care at the hospital.

Source: Briefly News