A Johannesburg mother and three men face attempted murder charges after a viral video showed a four-year-old child being encouraged to smoke from a drug pipe. Image: Siyabonga Sithole/IOL
(The Post News)- A Johannesburg woman appeared in court on Thursday after a disturbing video surfaced online showing her encouraging her four-year-old child to smoke from what appeared to be a drug pipe.
The video, which quickly went viral on Tuesday, sparked widespread outrage and led to the woman’s arrest later that evening by the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD).
All four accused face charges of attempted murder and child abuse for allegedly exposing the child to a harmful substance. They have indicated plans to seek Legal Aid representation. The case has been postponed to August 4.
During the court proceedings, it was clarified that the child involved is four years old, not three as initially reported. The child was taken for medical evaluation and has since been placed in a place of safety.
According to the JMPD, the footage shows the child using the neck of a plastic bottle as a makeshift pipe to light drugs for his mother, who then encouraged him to inhale, while several adults watched.
Acting on a tip-off, JMPD officers located the woman and identified her from the video. When questioned, she reportedly named two others present during the incident, including the person who recorded the video.
“All three suspects confessed to using Mandrax and admitted to filming the incident. Their cellphones were confiscated as evidence,” the JMPD said in a statement.
On Wednesday, Police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili confirmed that the Johannesburg Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit is now handling the investigation.
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