Kidnapping case withdrawn

The case against a woman accused of kidnapping three small children has been withdrawn by police after it emerged that she, in fact, knew the children and had spent time with them before.

However, the woman was again attacked and beaten by an angry mob outside court earlier this week, following similar incidents on Thursday and Friday last week.

The 30-year-old woman, who is only known as “Thembisa” in Kwazakhele, was arrested on Thursday after the children, aged five, seven and eight, were reported missing by their grandmother.

About 100 angry residents had attacked the woman on the streets before she was rescued by police.

The next day, furious Kwazakhele residents protested outside the New Brighton Magistrate’s Court where the woman was due to appear for the alleged abduction of the children.

The residents said they feared the woman had intended taking the children to Durban to be sold.

The children were allegedly lured from their Kwazakhele home at about 4pm on Wednesday when the woman asked them to help her fetch clothes from the house where she was staying.