Update

KNYSNA NEWS - A 17-year-old girl who was arrested on charges of child neglect and child abandonment earlier this week, briefly appeared in the Knysna Magistrate's Court yesterday, 2 September.

The teenager will remains in custody at a place of safety until her next court appearance on 9 September.

The mother was arrested in New Horizons, Plettenberg Bay on Tuesday 1 September, less than a day after a baby was found abandoned in Green Street, Knysna Central. According to police spokesperson Captain Malcolm Pojie, the baby was found on Monday 31 August at about 14:40. 

"The abandoned coloured baby girl, estimated to be about a week old, was found by a passer-by in the bushes near Green Street who brought the baby to the Knysna Police Community Service Centre," Pojie said.

"The baby was immediately transferred to Knysna Provincial Hospital where she was admitted and received medical treatment and nurturing."

Police immediately started their investigation and the teenage mother was tracked down a day later. "After consultation with the Knysna Provincial Hospital on admissions in their maternity ward, information obtained took the investigating officer to New Horizons in Plettenberg Bay where they traced the 17-year-old mother of the child.

"The mother was arrested on the spot," Pojie said. "She faces charges of child neglect and child abandonment."

Western Cape Health Department spokesperson Nadia Ferreira has confirmed that the baby is "in a stable condition".

According to police spokesperson Sergeant Chris Spies, the mother's case was postponed to a later date. He also explained that court proceedings are to be held behind closed doors as the accused is under the age of 18.