A child rights advocate has tracked down a Wellington mother who shared images of her toddler son adorned with 28 prison gang tattoos and reported the case to social services.
Damaris Kiewiets, 57, expressed her anger after officers from the Paarl Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit informed her that a criminal case could not be filed.
Kiewiets was deeply disturbed by the Facebook posts from Shauneze Manelfe, the mother, which depicted the child—believed to be around three years old—making gang-related hand gestures and showing what appeared to be prison tattoos, known as gunyas, on his shoulders.
Kiewiets shared that she traveled to Cape Town early on Monday, having consulted with several officials who suggested that child abuse charges would need to be filed with FCS for an investigation to begin.
“When I arrived, I was shocked,” Kiewiets said. “As an activist, if you claim to care about children, you must act on it.”
However, when she reached the police, she was told that because the tattoos were not permanent, no criminal case could be pursued.
Not deterred, Kiewiets took matters into her own hands. “I insisted on a formal report so the matter could be properly investigated,” she explained. She traced the mother’s information herself and brought it to local social services for further action.
“I strongly believe the child should be removed from his mother’s care as he is being exposed to gang culture, which I consider a form of child abuse,” Kiewiets added.
The photos quickly sparked public outrage, with many criticizing the mother. In previous posts, she was also seen making hand gestures associated with the Terrible Josters, a street gang linked to the 28s prison gang.
A spokesperson from the Western Cape Department of Social Development, Esther Lewis, confirmed that the family had been located. “The department, working with various partners, has tracked the family,” Lewis said. “While we can’t discuss specifics, a social work process has started to determine the necessary interventions and support.”
Lewis clarified that the child protection investigation by social workers is separate from any potential police investigation.
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