KEY POINTS
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Former Pretoria midwife Yolande Fouchee faces 14 charges, including culpable homicide, over baby deaths and disabilities linked to her private delivery centre.
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Allegations include unqualified staff assistance, unauthorized medication use, and refusal to transfer high-risk cases to hospitals.
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The trial highlights urgent concerns about oversight, ethics, and safety in South Africa’s midwifery and homebirth practices.
A former midwife Fouchee Yolande accused of a disturbing pattern of medical negligence and unauthorized practices is currently facing 14 serious charges in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria.
Yolande Maritz Fouchee, 48, who previously operated the You&Me delivery centre in Pretoria East, is alleged to have caused the deaths or permanent disabilities of several infants between 2019 and 2021.
IOL reports that The charges include one count of culpable homicide, multiple counts of assault, and violations of professional healthcare regulations. Fouchee, now deregistered, has denied all wrongdoing, claiming she followed proper medical protocols during deliveries and blaming complications on pre-existing conditions or patient decisions.
The court has so far heard chilling testimony from mothers who entrusted Fouchee with their births, only to have their lives—and those of their babies—irrevocably changed.
Allegations detail negligence, unqualified assistance, and risky interventions
The first mother to testify, Carien Möller, told the court how her daughter Sophia was born with cerebral palsy after a traumatic delivery in July 2019.
“Sophia was blue in the face and had to be resuscitated for 20 minutes before she could breathe on her own,” Möller recounted emotionally. “We trusted her with our child’s life.”
In response, Fouchee claimed the condition was the result of Möller’s untreated bladder infection during pregnancy.
The court also heard that Fouchee allegedly administered powerful medications, including Cytotec and Oxytocin, to hasten labor without informed consent. These were reportedly given to mothers under the guise of a “rescue remedy,” raising serious ethical and legal questions.
According to the prosecution, Fouchee handled between 16 to 24 deliveries per month at fees starting from R16,000, despite lacking formal hospital backup or proper support systems.
One of the most controversial accusations is that she allowed her daughter—who holds no medical qualifications—to assist during births.
One of the gravest cases involves the death of a baby in 2020, just minutes after delivery. Another relates to a baby boy born with cerebral palsy and visual impairment, allegedly due to prolonged labor and oxygen deprivation.
“The mother pleaded to be taken to hospital for a C-section,” said the prosecutor, “but Fouchee refused and instead used forceps to deliver the child, likely causing trauma to the baby’s brain.”
The court is being presided over by Judge Papi Mosopa, who is supported by a medical assessor to interpret the complex clinical elements of the case.
As the trial proceeds, several other mothers are expected to testify against Fouchee, recounting harrowing experiences of ignored warnings, misdiagnosed conditions, and dismissive attitudes during labor.
A doula who worked with some of the mothers described a troubling pattern in Fouchee’s practice. “She had what she called a ‘we call the baby protocol’—a way of deciding when a baby should be born, regardless of the mother’s condition or the baby’s readiness,” the doula said.
Medical professionals and legal analysts say the trial could have far-reaching implications for South Africa’s unregulated homebirth sector.
“This case raises critical concerns about accountability and oversight in midwifery,” said Dr. Elmarie Groenewald, a healthcare ethics expert. “Without proper licensing and transparent standards, such tragedies become more likely.”
As the proceedings continue, families of the affected children are calling for justice and reforms to prevent similar incidents.
“We want accountability—not just from one individual, but from the system that allowed her to practice unchecked,” said Möller.
The trial has gripped public attention nationwide, particularly among parents and healthcare professionals who are questioning how many others may have suffered in silence.
