By REGINALD KANYANE
9 April 2026 – The owner and former midwife of You and Me Midwife-led Maternity Care, Yolande Maritz Fouchee (48) from Murrayfield was found guilty of culpable homicide of 9 days-old Noah Von Kloeg, 6 counts of assault, fraud, employment of an unqualified person, and 5 counts of assault involving a legal duty by the Pretoria High Court. Between 2019 to 2020, Fouchee would administer functions as a midwife, such as running pregnancy check-ups for pregnant women and assisting them to give birth at Fouchee’s practice in Murrayfield.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in Gauteng, Lumka Mahanjana said during the pregnancy and birthing process of those women, Fouchee would overlook pregnancy complications in respect of her patients and not refer them to the appropriate specialists. Mahanjana said Fouchee would also say to the pregnant women that she is capable of performing normal to low-risk birthing.
“During the birthing process, Fouchee would offer the pregnant mothers water mixed with Cytotec or Oxytocin in order to induce and augment their labour without their knowledge. On 3 April 2019, one of the victims’ labour was induced.
“She gave birth and 9 days later, her baby died due to the complications overlooked by Fouchee. In 2020, Fouchee was reported to the South African Nursing Council (SANC) by the victims and criminal cases against her were opened at Silverton police station. After an investigation by the police, Fouchee was arrested on 24 June 2024, at her place of residence,” she said.
Mahanjana further said in court, Fouchee pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against her and denied committing the offences. She added, however, the state prosecutor, Adv Jennifer Cronje, presented compelling evidence by Fouchee’s daughter, the victims and Professor Priya Soma-Pillay, as well as Professor Izelle Smuts, both experts from Steve Biko Academic Hospital who compiled detailed medical reports about ante-natal care, labour and delivery as well as neonatal emergency care proved the state’s case beyond reasonable doubt.
Meanwhile, the acting Director of Public Prosecutions in Gauteng, Advocate Marika Jansen Van Vuuren, commended Cronje for her work and said that such cases set precedence that medical officials are not above the law and that they too can be criminally prosecuted. Van Vuuren hopes that this judgement provides some justice and closure to the victims and their families.
“The matter has been postponed to 25 May 2026 for sentencing proceedings,” she said.
The Guardian 