Woman ties three-year-old disabled niece to a toilet seat

A South African woman from KwaZulu-Natal allegedly tied her three-year-old disabled niece to a toilet seat everyday before leaving for work.

The little girl is her brother's daughter.

According to the "Daily Sun" they got a tip off from workmen who had seen the girl while fixing the geyser.

"That is why we called Daily Sun. The innocent child was not crying but looked hopeless. Neighbours told us this baby is left alone, tied to the toilet seat while other kids go to school and the older people go for work. How can they be so cruel? They deserve to rot in jail," said one concerned contractor who did not want to be named.

Nearby residents claim that the aunt tied the baby to the toilet seat to make it easy for the baby to relieve herself without soiling her clothes.

"This child cannot walk so she decided to tie her to the toilet to stop her messing her clothes," claimed a resident.

After seeing this child, the newspaper traced the aunt to her place of work and also informed the police.

On seeing the the news crew and police arrive at her work place, the woman is said to have been shocked and cried uncontrollably begging for forgiveness from the cops. She denied tying the child to the toilet seat but did not deny leaving the child alone in the house.

"I never tied her up. Whoever tied her was trying to protect her from getting shocked by the electricity because she has been shocked in the past. I tried several times to give this child away but the social workers let me down. I cannot cope living with her. I have my own children so I cannot look after my niece too. I am struggling with my own kids," she said.

KZN Child Protection spokeswoman Nomusa Nene was shocked to learn that the aunt was not helped by social workers when she wanted the child taken away.

Police Captain Thulani Zwane said: "A woman aged 34 was arrested. She appeared in court yesterday charged with negligence. The baby was removed by cops and social workers on Monday."

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