A 21-year-old dad was sentenced by the Western Cape High Court on Monday, April 19, for the murder of his 4-month-old daughter. He is reported to have entered into a plea and sentencing agreement with the court that will see him face 25 years.
The 4-month-old daughter, Ashmee-Lee Stalleneberg was murdered by her father, Ashwynne Kortjie, on November 20, 2019, reports IOL. Kortjie, from Bonnievale, Western Cape, was said to have been looking after his child at his home in Happy Valley.
The incident occurred after his daughter refused to stop crying. As a result of the noise, Ashwynne Kortjie used both hands to apply pressure onto the child’s chest. This only made the young Ashmee-Lee cry more.
Frustrated, he grabbed her by the arm, breaking it. He then attempted to feed her as she continued to cry.
The continued crying resulted in the 21-year-old hitting his daughter twice on the chest with his fists. A fatal act.
Panicked, he then rushed to his neighbour for assistance, who then asked Kortjie to bring the little girl over to her. She was already dead.
The ambulance and police were called and Kortjie was arrested. He was sober and coherent when the incident took place.
The cause of death was declared as polytrauma: multiple injuries resulting in death.
“Ashwynne Kortjie was the father of this child and he was supposed to protect her. He brutally killed the child because she cried. He assaulted her in a callous and brutal manner, ultimately causing her death,” said the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Eric Ntabazalila.
African News Agency reported that Ntabazalila welcomed the man’s arrest and sentencing.
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