D-Day awaits for foetus-dumping dad
A 27-year-old man who plotted with his baby mama to conceal the birth of their baby will learn his fate this Thursday.
Appearing before Extension 2 Magistrates Court last week, Ezekiel Ditshotlo admitted disposing of the deceased four-month-old foetus along with his girlfriend, Sarah Segola.
It was revealed that on the night of 28 December 2022, after the suspected self-induced abortion, the couple wrapped the tiny body in a blanket and plastic, sealing the remains in a bucket.
They then drove from Tlokweng to the remote Sefoke lands to dump the corpse.
However, a local resident, Matinti Kgosinngwe, saw Ditshotlo arrive and then disappear into the bush carrying the bucket.
When the young man returned minutes later, he was empty-handed.
His suspicion sparked, Kgosinngwe retraced Ditshotlo’s steps, quickly finding the bucket and its chilling contents.
The prosecution presented unassailable evidence, with forensic reports confirming Ditshotlo and the discarded foetus shared the same DNA.
Having pleaded guilty, he was remanded in custody and taken for fingerprinting at Tlokweng Police Station.
The Discovery ward resident returns to court for sentencing on 23 October, where he will discover his destiny; he will also be given the chance to state any mitigating circumstances that might save his skin.
Although the penal code is slightly obscure in regards to the crime of concealing birth, with ‘no punishment specially provided for’, if the court sees fit, Ditshotlo could be jailed for up to two years.
