GUILTY South Africa - Newborn stolen from hospital found, 17 years later

[zwiebel]

Maybe Groote Schuur Maternity want to review security; another newborn was stolen from there in January. I don't know if he's been found yet.

http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-cou...m-hospital-on-new-year-1.1800662#.VPAtYntwbMI

 

[katydid23]

They had better tighten that up. Most maternity hospitals are locked down tight as a drum these days.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

Wowzers. Will be interested to see how this pans out.

Gives hope for other missing children all over the world.

 

[keeponsearching]

This is really amazing. I see people that look like each other all the time. Kudos for the nurses to speak up.

 

[dotr]

Remarkable story!
Wonder if those girls had been living near each other for many years and if so, did the pseudo mom know?
Very bold if she did, imo.

 

[1&2&3]

If I understand correctly, this picture is of the two other sisters, not the lost sister.

Congratulations to the Nurse family for finding their daughter.

Unfortunately, the changes that are now to come for this child will be very traumatic. A 17 year old does not make simple changes easily, let alone a whole new life change. I hope there will be professionals guiding her and the Nurses as they come together.

 

[zwiebel]

Zephany's been taken into care, with none of the family members she grew up with allowed to see her.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/27/mother-reunited-stolen-daughter-17-years-after-snatched

 

[GigTu]

Pretty amazing story. I'm glad for the birth family, but I hope they are realistic about the psychological factors. Tragedy all around. Every single person in this story has been/will be hurt.

I especially feel bad for the "not dad"/"zephany" relationship. I betcha she goes to find him after she turns 18. He did nothing wrong and in her heart that's her daddy.

Will she go by Zephany, or continue with her given name. It's not like she's a cat. Your name is your identity. At the end of the day, she will find herself and choose, I suppose.

 

[Ellmau]

She's staying Zephany.

Birth parents forgive abductor:

'Zephany loves this woman dearly, she was a good mother to her,' the mother-of-four said.
'What she did was very wrong, they've been living a lie for the last 17 years, but I forgave her some time ago.
'Undoubtedly we will meet, and I will thank her for taking care of my daughter. Zephany has had a good life with her - my daughter is beautiful, inside and out, she's kind and clever - they did a great job.'

Dad:

'The community is angry, extremely angry, this has happened under their noses. I feel sorry for the lady, I hope she is protected. I don’t know how the community is going to act towards her. We are concerned and we have the community fully behind us.'

Morne added: 'It's deep down in your gut – you felt it, that she's out there. We never lost hope, not for a day. Hope was always there, we felt it. Her death didn't occur to us ever.'
How this extraordinary story will end, neither Morne nor Celeste can predict.
'I want what she wants – whatever she thinks is best for her, will be fine by us,' Celeste said with a shrug.
'We don't want to put any pressure on her. She is a very clever girl, asks a lot of very adult questions about our family values and why things have turned out the way they have.'
Morne chipped in: 'I feel she belongs to us, with us, but it's whatever she decides. All we can offer her is love, love and more love.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...daughter-18-years-THANKS-woman-stole-her.html

 

[stillwatersc]

She's staying Zephany.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...daughter-18-years-THANKS-woman-stole-her.html

I love this family. Sounds like they are doing everything right. Zephany turns 18 next month; then she will be free to determine where to live.

 

[MsFacetious]

Abducted S. African teen 'broken' after reuniting with parents 17 years later

--------------------------------

The teen is in the custody of social services. Her parents have been allowed to visit her for short periods, the news agency reported.

She released a statement, via the Centre for Child Law, which is representing her.

"I want to say thank you to all the people who supported me through this, for continuously praying and never giving up on looking for me," she said.

"Under the circumstances, I am doing fine."

The alleged victim hasn't been identified because she is a minor.
The media have given her the name Zephany to ensure her privacy.

The suspect returns to court on May 29.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/06/africa/south-africa-kidnapped-teen/index.html

 

[Fairynuff]

I watched the movie about carlina white the other day. google her and read on her abduction when she was 19 days old. this story of zephany is not going to end well for her biological family i'm afraid. zephany will go back to the family who raised her because they are the ones who she knows as her family. her biological family are no longer her life and she won't feel part of their family in any way, shape or form. the fact is, is that she is almost 18 years old and is able to make her own decisions in this matter.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

The case is in court in South Africa this week:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ty-ward-18-YEARS-ago-woman-dressed-nurse.html

 

[CoverMeCagney]

So the lady who took Zephany has been convicted of kidnap and will be sentenced for up to 10 years.

Apparently there has been a "tiff" with the bio family and Zephany is still living with the dad who raised her (who believed she was his), she wants her "mum" home from prison.

What an awful, awful situation for the bio parents, siblings, other dad and Zephany herself. And even the kidnapper I guess, slightly. She must have feared this moment for 20 years.

 

[stillwatersc]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-37082263

A South African court has jailed a woman for 10 years for kidnapping a baby from her hospital bed 19 years ago and raising her as her own.

I don't know what is new here but this article was recently updated.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Zephany: Coming to terms with the truth | Saturday Star

 

[MsFacetious]

Zephany to mom: 'You are paying a price for the cost of loving me' | Pretoria News

 

[MsFacetious]

Zephany Nurse author surprised by Miché Solomon’s resilience, inner strength | Saturday Star

 

[CoverMeCagney]

So happy to hear this story has turned out fine in the end:

A woman who was abducted as a three-day-old baby has revealed how she now has a good relationship with her birth parents after initially rejecting them to support the kidnapper who raised her.

Woman who was stolen as a baby says it 'shook her entire world' when she discovered her real parents | Daily Mail Online

 

[Melt71]

Zephany's kidnapper Lavona Solomon was released on parole in August 2023. "Correctional services department spokesperson Candice van Reenen said Solomon, upon her release, would be “admitted into the system of community corrections and serve the remainder of the sentence until its expiry in 2026." www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2023-07-17-zephany-nurses-kidnapper-lavona-solomon-to-be-released-on-parole/

When Zephany married she asked both her bio father and raised father to walk her down the aisle I was stolen — so my real dad and my abductor walked me down the aisle

Zephany was featured in a 90 minute podcast in 2024 by Wide Awake Podcast in South Africa. A really interesting story of her experience, and how she feels several years down the track.