15 August 2016•Update: 15 August 2016
By Shu’eib Hassen
CAPE TOWN, South Africa
A South African baby kidnapping case which took almost two decades to solve finally ended on Monday.
The infant, known only to the public as 'Zephany Nurse', was kidnapped in April 1997 from a hospital while her mother slept.
A 52-year-old woman was found guilty of the kidnapping in March and was sentenced to 10 years’ jail time on Monday. Her name was withheld to protect the girl's identity.
She was first arrested in Feb. 2015 when an investigation by the child's biological parents revealed that a female youth attending the same school as their younger daughter was in fact Zephany Nurse.
Although many South Africans are celebrating the end of the case, there are still deep-rooted concerns for the girl's future.
She is currently 19 and has chosen to live in a Cape Town district with the man she considers her father – the husband of the kidnapper.
Zephany has struggled to reconnect with her real family. She is barred from visiting the kidnapper, whom she was raised to identify as her mother.
Judge John Hlope told reporters outside the court that the crime was serious and that the kidnapper’s age, criminal record and chronic conditions were considered when arriving at the final sentence.
