-Staff Writer / Sat, 13 Dec 2025
The Free State Police have arrested a 25-year-old woman in connection with the abandonment of her two-day-old infant, after the newborn was found under a tree near a hiking spot along the R30 outside Theunissen.
According to Free State police spokesperson Sergeant Mahlomola Kareli, members of the Brandfort Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit traced and arrested the child’s mother following an intensive investigation.
PShe has been charged with attempted murder and is expected to appear in the Theunissen Magistrate’s Court soon.
The infant was discovered on Friday, 12 December 2025, at about 15:00, when a man and his cousin were walking towards the hiking area. They were alerted by an unknown man who told them about a baby lying beneath a tree nearby.
Read more:https://www.newsjunction.co.za/2025/12/13/abandoned-newborn-found-near-a-hiking-spot-in-fs/
The two Good Samaritans immediately searched the area and found a male infant believed to be only a few days old. With heavy rain approaching, they took the baby to their home for safety and promptly contacted Theunissen police and Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
Paramedics later transported the infant to a local hospital, where he was admitted for medical observation and care.
Police have confirmed that investigations into the circumstances surrounding the abandonment have been concluded with the arrest of the mother.
Members of the public with further information are encouraged to contact the South African Police Service.
News Junction (Gold Standard)
