How Could You? Hall of Shame-South Africa-Nelly Masangu case-Child Death UPDATED

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Mamelodi, South Africa, “DOMESTIC worker Anna Mahlangu, 62, cried bitterly in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, after she was found guilty of murdering her 13-year-old foster child by setting her alight.

Mahlangu, of Mamelodi, told Judge Bert Bam that she loved Nelly Masangu, and only wanted to teach the child a lesson by pouring paraffin over her and setting her alight.

She claimed the teenager had stolen money from her and she simply wanted to scare her.

Mahlangu thought she had all in hand and would douse the flames before they engulfed the girl. Nelly, however, died a few days later in hospital of third-degree burn wounds.

Mahlangu pleaded not guilty to murder as she said she did not have the intention to kill her.

She took care of the teenager since she was 5 after her mother – Mahlangu’s youngest sister – died. Mahlangu also took care of one of her other siblings’ daughters, only identified as Nomsa, after her mother had died.

Nomsa, with the financial aid of Mahlangu, is studying towards a degree at Unisa.

Mahlangu told the court that she had the same high hopes for Nelly and she had set up a university fund for her. “The money is still in the bank as it was when she died,” an emotional Mahlangu said.

She explained that she suspected that Nelly had stolen R500 that had been left in the house. She had confronted the teenager about it, who denied taking the money.

On October 1, 2015, she took Nelly to the police station, in the hope that she would confess to taking the money. The teenager persisted that she was not the thief and the police referred the pair to a social worker.

Mahlangu said she left the teenager with the social worker in her office in the hope that she would confess to taking the money.

They eventually left the office of the social worker with Masangu still denying that she had taken the money. The social worker instructed them to return on October 5 for another session, but this never happened due to the incident.

On October 4, Nomsa was home for the school holidays and the three of them were at Mahlangu’s home. There were also some tenants present who lived on the property.

Mahlangu said because this was not the first time that the teenager had taken money from her, she decided to scare her.

“I decided to pour paraffin over her and to pretend that I was going to burn her. I believed that she would never burn because I was going to put the fire out myself.”

Mahlangu said when the teenager caught fire, she tried to douse the flames by removing her clothes. “Unfortunately she slipped out of my hands and ran away.

“As she ran further away the flames became even more. I and other tenants poured water at her in an effort to put out the flames. The fire was eventually put out but unfortunately she had suffered burns.”

Nelly died a few days later in hospital, where Mahlangu was also treated for a week as she too had caught fire when she tried to help the girl.

“I never intended to burn her, as I loved her. I had high hopes for her to one day make something of herself.”

Mahlangu said she has not had peace since the incident as she could not forgive herself for what she had done.

Her employer took the stand to testify in mitigation of sentence and said she had worked for his family for 27 years. Her conduct on the day of the incident was totally unlike her, he said. His family loved her dearly and he suspected that she simply snapped as she was unable to cope with the teenager, who was not an easy person.

Judge Bam said what had happened was a tragic incident which called for a probation officer’s report to assist the court in sentencing Mahlangu.

The case was postponed to December 8.”

Foster mom convicted of killing girl, 13
[IOL 10/11/17 by Zelda Venter]

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update: “Anna Mahlangu, 64, sobbed loudly as she went down the stairs to the holding cells of the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, after being sentenced to 15 years for the murder of her 13-year-old foster child.

Mahlangu, who was wearing a striped skirt, doek (scarf), tracksuit top and scarf, hugged her family members before disappearing from view.

The former domestic worker from Mamelodi was convicted of killing Nelly Masangu by pouring paraffin over her and setting her alight. She said she only wanted to teach the child a lesson.

Mahlangu claimed the teenager had stolen money from her and she simply wanted to scare her. The child died after spending a few weeks in hospital.

Judge Bert Bam said that while he took into account that Mahlangu was a first offender and her age, murder was a serious crime that was punishable.

He reiterated that the teen died viciously and he did not understand how a woman of Mahlangu’s age would reprimand a child in the manner that she did.

“Murder is a serious crime; to set somebody alight is cruel. The victim was 13 years old. She died a month and eight days after the incident.

“On a daily basis there are campaigns in our country about children who are murdered and abused and irrespective of the reason why the murder was committed, the accused testified that the victim caused her a lot of trouble, to the extent that she was taken to the police station.

“But she was referred to the social worker and had an appointment the next day; the matter of concern is what triggered the accused on that day to commit the crime,” Judge Bam asked.

The court also questioned weather Mahlangu was really remorseful or just regretful.

“The accused expressed remorse and on several occasions said she was very sorry. The question arising is whether she does have true remorse or whether she is only regretting what she did.” The judge said Mahlangu was not absolutely truthful to the court.

Earlier, the accused’s legal representative, advocate Khomotso Tlouane had requested that there be a deviation from the minimum murder sentence of 15 years. However, due to the nature of the crime, Judge Bam refused.

Tlouane also made attempts for leave to appeal, but the judge refused that too.

In October, Mahlangu had testified that “I decided to pour paraffin over her and pretend that I was going to burn her. I believed that she would never burn because I was going to put the fire out.”

Mahlangu said that when the teenager caught fire, she tried to douse the flames by removing her clothes.

“Unfortunately, she slipped out of my hands and ran away.

“As she ran further away the flames became even more (intense). I and other tenants poured water on her in an effort to put out the flames. The fire was eventually put out, but unfortunately she had suffered burns.

“I never intended to burn her as I loved her. I had high hopes for her to one day make something of herself.””

15 years for foster mother who burnt child to death
[Pretoria News 12/11/17 by RUDZANI MATSHILI]