DURBAN - Private security company Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) has rescued *Baby N, who was allegedly forcefully taken from her Dawncrest home on March 5, 2022, at 10.30pm by her uncle, her mother’s brother.
Rusa spokesperson Prem Balram said Baby N was rescued within hours after her grandfather approached Rusa for help.
Balram told the Daily News that baby N’s grandfather was on his way to open a missing person’s case at the police station on Wednesday morning.
Baby N, 14-months-old, was allegedly sold after her alleged drug-addicted mother abandoned her in Isipingo in January 2022. The guardian passed on, and the grandfather then took custody of the child. Her father is unknown, and her mother cannot be located.
Balram said, according to the grandfather, the child was forcefully removed with her birth certificate by his son, who lives in Ramsgate, Port Shepstone. This is days after a couple in a silver Mercedes-Benz arrived at a family get together to view Baby N. They hastily left after an altercation. After unsuccessful attempts to locate the child, the emotional grandfather sought assistance from Rusa.
“Reaction officers working on this matter since 10am this morning (Wednesday) followed leads between Verulam and the KZN South Coast. Baby N was eventually located with an Indian couple in Reservoir Hills, KZN. The couple is not related to the child and is unknown to the family. Reaction officers also located the Mercedes-Benz used to remove the child from her Dawncrest, KZN home.
“Officers approached the house and located Baby N on the upper level of the residence. She was in the care of an elderly woman. According to the couple, they approached Baby N's uncle, requesting for the baby to be given to them as they could not bore children. They did not confirm how much was paid for the child.”
Balram said when the uncle misled reaction officers dealing with this matter, he said that the child was in his care in Ramsgate, Port Shepstone. He added that he would make a video call later this afternoon to confirm this. He was unaware that reaction officers had obtained information that the baby was in Reservoir Hills.
He added that reaction officers, at 12.05pm, transported Baby N to unite her with her legal guardians.
*Child’s name withheld to protect her identity.
Daily News