State seeks murder conviction for dad; 2-year-old son killed during "visit" (Pretoria, South Africa)

Dad SIBUSISO PHETLA has been charged with murdering his 2-year-old son after he "fetched" him from the boy's mother for a "visit." Of course, it also appears that he tried to hide the boy from his mother afterwards, so she wouldn't discover that the boy was nearly comotose from his injuries. Despite all that, the defense is trying to insinuate that the injuries might have taken place at Mom's. What else is new....

http://www.mg.co.za/article/2011-01-13-state-seeks-murder-conviction-for-pta-dad

State seeks murder conviction for PTA dad
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA Jan 13 2011 17:39

The state has asked for the conviction of a Pretoria father on a charge of murdering his two-year-old son after the child died of a severe head injury in 2008.

Amogelang Solomon Maditla died shortly after being admitted to hospital in July 2008.

A pathologist found that he had died of a head injury, caused by blunt force trauma, complicated by bronchopneumonia.

According to medical evidence, the two-year-old boy had a broken skull, arm, leg and ribs, a ruptured liver as well as bruises and burns all over his body.

There were both old and new injuries and two doctors concluded that the child had been abused.

The child's father, Sibusiso Phetla (34) of Lotus Garden, has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering his son and failing to get medical help for him.

The state alleges he severely assaulted his son after fetching him from his mother for a visit at his house for a day.

In a coma

He allegedly hid the child, preventing the mother from seeing him until the next morning, when she found the boy virtually in a coma due to the seriousness of his injuries.

Phetla earlier testified that his son was coughing, had a nappy rash and was not his usual playful self when he went to fetch him, but he did not think it was anything serious.

He claimed his son had fallen off a couch onto a heater when he quickly went out for a cigarette that night.

He said had put toothpaste on the burns and slept with the child that night, but it did not cross his mind to summon help or phone the mother.

He only realised the child was weak and was seriously injured the next morning, but did not do anything and "just sat there" until the mother arrived, he testified.

Prosecutor Grace Mosetlha argued that Phetla should be convicted on both counts.

She said doctors had found fresh injuries on the child, which could only have been sustained while he was with his father.

It was clear that he should have summoned help for the child, who had serious injuries that would have been visible to the naked eye, she added.

She pointed out that two doctors had testified that it was highly unlikely that a child of two years old could have sustained these types of injuries in an accidental fall.

Their conclusion was that the child had been assaulted.

Mike Ramoshaba, for the defence, argued that the boy could have sustained the injuries before he was placed in his father's care, as the doctors had testified about old and recent injuries.

Judge Vivian Tlhapi postponed the trial to February 7 for judgment. -- Sapa