19 years after being taken from hospital, baby Zephany Nurse’s abductor has been sentences to 10 years in jail.
The South African woman had entered court with a not guilty plea claiming that she had legally adopted the girl was finally found guilty in a Cape Town courtroom.
During her sentencing today, Judge John Hlope called the woman’s crimes extremely serious as Zephany’s biological parents Celeste and Morne looked on.
For the last 19 years the case of the South African Madeleine McCann, as she was known, has been one surrounded by mystery as she was kidnapped at just three-days-old while her mother slept.
The 51-year-old kidnapper continued to fool authorities in 2003 when she registered Zephany as her daughter using a false birthdate.
Her identity was uncovered last year when people grew suspicious of her uncanny resemblance to a girl in her school who was indeed her sister.
Zephany was not is court today to hear her abductors sentence but as the proceedings concluded, the family of the kidnapper and that of Zephany had altercations in the courtroom.
