A 46-year-old woman has been arrested in Thabong, Free State, for defeating the ends of justice and perjury after falsely reporting a kidnapping case.
The arrest follows a bizarre child exchange arrangement that took a dramatic turn when the biological mother reclaimed her child after two years.
According to Captain Loraine Earle, spokesperson for the Free State police, the suspect had been raising the child as her own after forming a friendship on Facebook with the 24-year-old biological mother.
However, when their relationship soured, the woman falsely claimed that the two-year-old boy had been kidnapped on March 9, 2025. She reported the alleged abduction at Thabong police station, sparking an urgent investigation.
“A crime scene investigation was conducted on March 10 by senior officers, Thabong Detectives, FCS, the K9 Unit, and LCRC. However, no evidence of a kidnapping was found,” said Captain Earle.
Further inquiries revealed that the biological mother had simply collected her child from the woman in Bultfontein that morning.
The child has since been placed in the care of Puthaditjhaba Social Services while authorities continue their probe.
As the investigation unfolded, police uncovered fraudulent registration of the child at Home Affairs. The biological mother had allegedly used the Bultfontein woman’s identity document to register the baby after giving birth in Bloemfontein.
Both women are now facing additional charges of fraud and human trafficking.
“The investigation is ongoing, and more details are expected to emerge,” said Captain Earle.
With authorities taking child trafficking and illegal adoptions seriously, both suspects could face severe legal consequences as the case develops.
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