Johannesburg - A woman is due to appear in the Potchefstroom magistrate's court on Wednesday after her attempt to hang herself and her baby failed, North West police say.

Standing on a chair, she had tied two ropes to a tree and placed a noose around her neck and another around the neck of her three-year-old daughter, said spokesperson Louis Jacobs.

"It seems the chair slipped before she was ready." The child survived with a bruised neck.

Jacobs said the incident was reported to police on Monday morning, but happened on Saturday.

The woman was living in a caravan on a smallholding in Buffelshoek, 50km from Potchefstroom.

The woman was currently in custody while the child was taken to a place of safety. The woman faces a charge of attempted murder.


How bad must thing be to get to this point?

Here is a video clip of Keira & Daniel swimming. Sorry about the poor sound.

Last night I got home rather late as I am getting a lift form a friend to get me home while Steve is away.
When I got home Keira ran up to me gave me a hug & asked me “where’s my daddy” Oh boy here we go again. After 3 very loud sniffs the water works started again.

Thank goodness for the boys they quickly took her mind of things & bribed her with a lolly. (it works every time).

Vincent ran my bath & watched the little ones while I had a little me time, which lasted all of 3 minutes as Keira hopped into the bath me.

Vincent cooked supper & we all piled into my bed to watch CSI.

We then called Steve so that he could speak to Keira & once she spoke to him she seemed to be happy. I am so grateful he is coming home tomorrow.

Well we had a long chat with our social worker about the next stage of the adoption process.
This is where we stand:
1. Birth mother is married

2. Husband is not the father

3. Birth mother has not seen husband in 2 years

4. Birth father says he is not the father

5. No father is registered on the birth certificate

6. South African law sees husband as the father even though he has no idea of the child in question.

7. Child in Question has the husbands Surname

8. We need to find husband to get an affidavit stating he is not the father

9. We have no clue where to start looking for this man

10. We need to get a copy of their marriage certificate from Home affairs

11. We need to place an advert in the paper asking him to contact us

12. Birth mother does not want him to know about the baby

13. Birth mother can still change her mind about the adoption as her 60 day cooling off period is not finished this will be on the 20th of May

14. Court will not grant the adoption unless they have the affidavit for the husband!

Fun and Games! Grrrrr

On the advise of our Social worker we must wait until after the 20th of May before we start any further investigations in who & where the is.

The last thing I want to do is add more stress to the birth mother, I am afraid if we pressurise her for information about her husband she will withdraw her consent for adoption.

Keira is currently a very unhappy toddler as DH is away on conference till Wednesday evening.

When he left yesterday he told her day is going to work, she was not happy about it but accepted it.

By the time it was bedtime she was stressed out “where is daddy”? I kept telling her he was at work. She went to sleep with the aid of Vincent lying down with her till she nodded off. Around 2am I wake up with the sound of sniffing next to me, Yes it was Keira she had climbed into be looking for her daddy. By this stage my heart just broke cus how to you tell a 2 year old that daddy is still at work & will not be home for 2 more sleeps.

I tried to console her but it did not work she went to find Vincent & this morning I found them cuddled up in his bed. I am so grateful that my 17 year old boy had such a strong bond with his sister I would have been lost with out his help last night. Oh well another rough night coming up. DH has called her 3 times today to tell her that daddy loves her & that he is still at work.