National
Poppie's mom and stepdad back in the dock for sentencing proceedings─── 05:52 Thu, 24 May 2018
The biological mother and stepfather of three-year-old Poppie van der Merwe, who were convicted of her murder, will return to the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Thursday for sentencing proceedings.
At the end of last year, Judge Bert Bam found Poppie’s mother Louisa Koekemoer, and stepfather Kobus Koekemoer, guilty of one charge of murder and two of child abuse.
The child abuse convictions related to Poppie's brother and stepsister.
The alleged incidents took place between September 2015 and October 2016 in various places.
The couple was arrested after Poppie died near Mamogaleskraal outside Brits, in October 2016.
Bam said that, although much of the evidence was circumstantial, it should be viewed as a "mosaic".
He added that both accused had a duty to protect the children, but they ended up blaming each other for the abuse of the children, indicating that they were both aware of what was happening.
