A nanny was caught on surveillance camera throwing a screaming infant face-down into a crib, and now the unnamed woman is facing attempted murder charges, the Independent is reporting .
Annemarie Theron and her husband, Johan, hired the unnamed nanny in May. However, Mrs. Theron, who according to Netwerk24 is the manager of a lodge in Namibia , became suspicious when she started noticing bruises on her nine-month-old baby daughter, Laila. Specifically, she had bruises on her neck and shoulders.
“After that I sat at work, thinking about my daughter the entire day. That’s when I decided to install cameras, so that I could see what was happening when I’m not at home.”
Theron and her husband set up a hidden camera in Laila’s room. What the camera captured has shaken the couple to their core.
“It was very emotional watching it. I refused to sleep, eat or drink for a couple of days afterward. It’s difficult to imagine how long this has been going on for. I can see Laila is so, so broken after everything.”
In the video, which you can see below, the nanny can be seen roughly carrying the screaming Laila by one arm, then roughly throwing her into her crib. Laila continues to scream, but the nanny ignores her and walks out of the room. Warning: the video below contains content that may be disturbing to some viewers.
Unfortunately for Mrs. Theron, she initially found little help from the police. That’s because Namibian law is complicated when it comes to evidence gained from hidden-camera recordings.
“It was quite a process, as I had to confirm with a mediator what it would mean if I made the recordings without her (the nanny’s) knowledge.”
However, Mrs. Theron says that, once police saw the video footage, they were quick to proceed with criminal charges against the woman. She has been charged with attempted murder.
Police in the northern Namibian town of Outjo, where the incident took place, as well as Namibian police in general, have been largely silent about this alleged crime, due to reluctance to speak to the foreign media.
Mrs. Theron, for her part, is glad that police have finally stepped into action against the nanny.
“I don’t want her near my child ever again, or to pose a threat to other children. What happened was horrible to witness. I realised Laila has nightmares.”
Whether or not Mrs. Theron and Laila will ever get justice, however, remains to be seen. The Namibian penal system, according to a 2005 report in the Namibian , says that the wheels of justice turn slowly in the African country, due to poorly-trained and underpaid workers handling massive amounts of criminal cases.
Namibia: Police Chief Ndeitunga Haunted By Chinese Links https://t.co/18BFC9p2k6 pic.twitter.com/epuIQt0BXG
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Regardless of the uncertain future of her criminal case, Mrs. Theron is grateful for the help she’s received.
“It was comforting to see how many people supported us. Thanks to everyone, family, friends, and strangers, it means a great deal.”
[Featured Image by eranicle/Thinkstock]
