The children were burnt with an iron. Picture: Pexels.
A Free State woman has been sentenced in the Welkom Regional Court on charges of assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The 37-year-old woman cannot be named as her children, who are still minors, need to be protected from secondary trauma.
The three children, 11 and nine-year-old twins.
The provincial police spokesperson, Sergeant Sinah Mpakane said the incident took place on June 1, 2024.
The mother was convicted on the assault charges.
The court heard that on the day of the incident, the children were jumping on the bed and a fight broke out between them.
The mother then called all three of them and ordered them to place their hands on the ironing board and she burnt them with the iron.
After burning them, she sent the children to bed.
The following day, the court heard that one of the twins were crying and making a noise. The mother called her, and again, the child was told to place her hand on the ironing board and the mother burnt the child with a hot iron.
The court heard after the second incident, the mother gave all the children food and again, sent them to bed.
The next day at school, a teacher noticed the burn wounds and inquired from the one sibling what happened and he told his teacher what happened. The boy also told the teacher all three siblings were burnt by their mother and the reasoning behind the punishment.
The teacher reported the matter to the police.
The court sentenced the mother to four years imprisonment wholly suspended for a period of five years on the condition she is not convicted of a similar offence during the period of suspension. She was also ordered to undergo a Department of Social Development (DSD) parenting programme successfully. The court further ordered the mother unfit to possess a firearm.
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