Mixed Reactions To Sentences For Vanderbijlpark Kidnappers

There was mixed reaction to the jail sentences handed to the kidnappers of six-year-old Amy’Leigh de Jager, with some saying the sentences were too lenient.

Tharina Human, Laetitia Nel, Pieter Jacobus van Zyl and Bafokeng Molemohi entered into plea and sentence agreements with the State in the Gauteng High Court, sitting in Palm Ridge.

Human, the 27-year-old Grade RR teacher said to be the mastermind, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and Van Zyl received an eight-year term.

Human was a teacher at the child’s school and was friends with her mother.

Molemohi was sentenced to seven years behind bars and Nel received five years.

The young girl was snatched from her mother’s car in front of her school in 2019 and was held hostage for several hours before she was dropped off along a road.

The father believes justice has been served after the accused were found guilty and sentenced on Thursday.

However the director at the Teddy Bear Clinic, Shaheda Omar, was not happy with these sentences.

“They got off lightly. Why should their sentences be reduced? There was collusion and the motives were all the same. The fact that Tharina got a 10-year sentence is still not sufficient,” Omar said.

Meanwhile, Save The Children South Africa welcomed the outcome.

CEO Steve Miller said that he hoped the little girl could heal from the traumatic ordeal.

“Trauma impacts children differently from adults. It really overwhelms the child [and] can seriously impact their trajectory and growth in life,” Miller said.