2 days ago
The haunting similarities in child abduction: Zephany Nurse asks, 'When does it stop?'
'Zephany Nurse' was reuinted with her biological family 17 years later.
Image: File
'Oh my word. It is happening to somebody again.'
These are the words of Miché Sheldon, also known as Zephany Nurse, who has been following the case of Mogamat Imaad Sharmar's kidnapping, which, in a chilling twist, has similar hallmarks to her own case.
Just like Sheldon's mother Celeste Nurse begged her kidnapper on television to return her home in April 1997, so did Imaan Sharmar beg her 9 day old son's kidnapper to return him this week.
Sheldon's kidnapper, Lavonna Solomon, had pretended to be a nurse at Groote Schuur Hospital when Sheldon was abducted.
It was not until 17 years later in 2015 when Solomon was finally nabbed for the abduction and Sheldon was reunited with her parents, Celeste and Morné Nurse.
It had been when their youngest daughter Cassidy attended the same school as Sheldon, when learners noticed that two girls resembled one another.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Next
Stay
Close ✕
DNA tests later revealed Sheldon was, in fact, the Nurse's long-lost daughter.
During the trial, it was revealed that Solomon had suffered miscarriages and was desperate to have a child of her own and that she wanted the baby so that her partner, Michael, would marry her.
Solomon denied stealing the infant and claimed a woman named, 'Sylvia' had handed her the baby at Wynberg train station, but this was dismissed as a fairytale by the court.
In the case of Imaad's accused snatcher Sameemah Jacobs, she had allegedly befriended his mother at the Mitchell's Plain District Hospital shortly after she gave birth, and also claimed she was a sponsor for an NPO that provided support for mothers.
She had invited Imaan to attend a workshop in Bellville, and Imaad was kidnapped at Middestad Mall in Bellville on Saturday.
Three days later on July 1, police found Imaad inside Jacobs's home in Tafelsig following a tip-off from residents.
Today, Sheldon is a mother of three, her youngest being a 9-month-old boy.
She told the Cape Argus that while following the case of Imaad, it evoked emotions for her, recalling that her mother had pleaded the same way as Imaan did for her baby's return.
'I remember I was scrolling through my Facebook and I saw the articles and posts that a newborn baby of just a couple days old was snatched, my heart was instantly shaken,' said Sheldon.
'I told myself, 'oh my word, it's happening to somebody again', when does it stop?
'Will it ever stop? I immediately searched for more information and saw the mother's plea to the kidnapper and gosh, it reminded me of my own mother .
'For a moment, my motherhood emotion kicked in and I was afraid that they weren't going to find the little baby. But I thank God, the community, and our media for assisting in his safe return.
'I also have a son that is 9 months old.'
Sheldon urged parents to not let their guard down.
'I am very protective over my children,' she said.
'This case also once again shows us that we live in a time where we as parents need to be extremely vigilant and our closest at times can't be trusted.
'Stories like these are meant to open our eyes and to be vigilant about our surroundings and the people we surround ourselves with.'
Earlier this week, Imaan shared that she would be telling Imaad the story of how he was kidnapped one day and how he was found.
Sheldon said while being a mother, the fact that she was kidnapped, would always be part of her.
'I think it's the right decision to tell him once he can fully understand and comprehend,' said Sheldon.
'I am sure his family will always be protective over him as this is something that stays with you forever as a parent and even with myself, but I thank God that he wasn't harmed physically or emotionally, and that his discovery was immediate.'
