Abortion suspect charged with murder

The 26-year-old resident from Uganda, Juko Moses, who is suspected of running an illegal abortion clinic in the back alleys of Makhado (Louis Trichardt), has now been charged with murder.

Moses was arrested in July 2011 after a 29-year-old woman, who wanted to terminate her five-month pregnancy, had put the police on Moses’s trail. At first he was charged with the illegal termination of a pregnancy.

This charge was changed to murder when Moses appeared in the Louis Trichardt Regional Court on Monday.

The woman, who cannot be identified without her informed consent, responded to one of the many illegal abortion advertisements that are plastered all over town. She allegedly paid R1 000 for five Cytotex tablets, which are used to terminate pregnancies.

Her baby died as a result of major complications caused by her taking the Cytotex tablets. According to information supplied, the State feels that it has enough evidence to prove a case of murder against Moses.

In the meantime, Moses has been in custody since September last year. His case had to be postponed on Monday, due to the fact that he had failed to pay his attorney.

He will remain in custody until 14 January, when his case is expected to continue.

Date:14 January 2013

By: Isabel Venter

Isabel joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in 2009 as a reporter. She holds a BA Degree in Communication Sciences from the University of South Africa. Her beat is mainly crime and court reporting.

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