Nespruit – An Mpumalanga woman who assaulted her five-year-old daughter with a cable was sentenced on Tuesday to two years’ imprisonment suspended for five years.

Nelspruit regional magistrate Willie Wilkens said the woman, a student at a local Further Education and Training (FET) college, became violent after being abused by her own father.

The 22-year-old woman, from Kanyamazane outside Mbombela, was arrested earlier in the year on a charge of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, a Sapa correspondent reported.

Her name was being withheld to protect the identity of her child.

Wilkens said the intention of the sentence was to enable the woman to be rehabilitated not to repeat her mistake.

“You became pregnant at a younger age and financial problems have contributed to the commission of this crime,” he said.

He said reports from social workers who interviewed the mother and the child found that they had reconciled.

“This is not a closed relationship. I have also noticed that you have changed by joining a church. Christianity may change your life for the better,” Wilkens said.

“I see you have passed your matric and you are down in life. You need to stand up. You have two children to (take) care of.”

He said that, according to a report by the doctor who examined the girl, she was brutally assaulted all over her body with a cable.

“There is a minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment for assaulting a child with intent to cause grievous bodily harm,” Wilkens said.

“You are also ordered to attend a rehabilitation programme for one day a week for a period of 12 weeks with Nicro (the National Institute for Crime Prevention and the Reintegration of Offenders). If you fail to adhere to this order, you will be sent straight to jail.”

Sapa