A Pelican Park woman accused of dumping her newborn baby boy in a bin has been released on R500 bail at the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court.
Anthea Basson, 29, was charged with concealment of birth after being busted by Grassy Park cops on Monday after the dead child was found inside a plastic bag.
Residents became suspicious after she told them she had given birth on Wednesday and that the baby was stillborn.
They went looking in bins as they believed she may have dumped the child but didn’t find anything over the weekend.
A 50-year-old neighbour, who asked not to be identified, says their suspicions were confirmed when an elderly woman living in the same house as Basson suddenly asked for a broom to scratch in the bin on Monday.
“Anthea was carrying a boy and all through the pregnancy people were worried because she was seen pressing hard down on her stomach and it looked like she was trying to harm the child. There is a safe house in our road and they even offered to raise the child for her.
“On Monday, the ouma (grandmother) of that house came asking for a broom, saying she is convinced the baby is in the bin and that is when the sakkie (bag) was found with the baby inside.
“We found out that she gave birth on Wednesday and hid the dead baby under her bed and put it in the bin on Sunday night because they come to fetch the dirt on a Monday morning.
“The ouma knew something was wrong because she was very agitated standing near the bin,” the neighbour explains.
Grassy Park police station commander, Colonel Dawood Laing, says forensic tests will be done to establish how the child died and if foul play is found Basson could face additional charges.