As the mastermind of the abduction, Human said that her plan was to extort R2 million from the parents to ease her financial burden.
FILE: (From left to right) Tharina Human, Laetitia Nel and Pieter van Zyl appear in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrates Court on 19 September 2019 for the kidnapping of of a six-year-old girl outside of her school. Picture: Kgomotso Modise/EWN
JOHANNESBURG – All four people accused of kidnapping a six-year-old girl in Vanderbijlpark have now formally pleaded guilty in the High Court sitting in Palm Ridge.
The mastermind behind the little girl’s abduction last year is a former teacher and friend of the child’s mother.
The kidnappers tried to extort a R2 million ransom from the parents but failed.
The Palm Ridge High Court has heard how all four accused have now formally pleaded guilty to the charges which range from kidnapping to attempted extortion.
Tharina Human has confessed to kidnapping the six-year-old girl in September last year as well as threatening her father.
Human told the child’s parents that they would harm her if the R2 million was not paid.
She later confessed that she owed drug lords money.
During the bail bid, the court also heard that she even considered faking her own kidnapping to get the money.
The transaction, however, never materialised and the girl was dropped off next to the road in the early hours of the morning.
