Key Points:
- Former Pretoria midwife Yolande Fouchee faces 14 charges, including culpable homicide, after causing multiple birth-related deaths and injuries.
- Prosecutors accuse her of administering unapproved labor drugs and allowing unqualified assistance during deliveries.
- Court testimony reveals negligence and refusal to transfer patients during complicated births.
Former Midwife Denies Wrongdoing in Ongoing Trial
PRETORIA, South Africa — The Gauteng High Court heard the case against a deregistered midwife accused of causing the deaths and disabilities of several newborns.
Yolande Maritz Fouchee, 48, ran the You&Me birthing center in Pretoria East. She now faces 14 charges, including culpable homicide. Fouchee denied any wrongdoing during her plea. She insisted that she followed accepted procedures in every delivery.
Mother Testifies After Daughter Left With Cerebral Palsy
Carien Möller took the stand on Tuesday as the first witness. Her daughter, Sophia, was born in July 2019 with cerebral palsy. Möller blamed Fouchee for her child’s brain damage. She testified that Sophia was blue at birth and required resuscitation for 20 minutes.
Fouchee responded by blaming Möller’s untreated bladder infection during pregnancy. She said Möller refused antibiotics, which she claimed caused the baby’s condition.
Prosecution Alleges Unethical Labor Practices
The case of midwife baby deaths Pretoria gained attention after prosecutors accused Fouchee of giving labor-inducing drugs—Cytotec and Oxytocin—without telling the mothers. These drugs aimed to hasten labor.
Four mothers and their babies connect to nine assault charges. Prosecutors said Fouchee falsely told the women they were receiving a “rescue remedy.”
Additionally, Fouchee allowed her daughter, who has no medical qualifications, to assist during deliveries. One baby died within minutes of birth in 2020. This death led prosecutors to bring the culpable homicide charge against Fouchee.
Forceps Delivery Linked to Brain Injury
Another mother said Fouchee refused to transfer her to a hospital for an emergency C-section. Instead, Fouchee tried to deliver the baby using forceps.
The baby boy was born with cerebral palsy and visual impairment. The mother said Fouchee ignored her pleas to go to the hospital.
Prosecutors argued that Fouchee’s actions caused oxygen deprivation. They also said forceps likely caused bleeding on the baby’s brain. The infant was born unresponsive and blue.
Credentials and Practices Under Scrutiny
Möller chose Fouchee after seeing her credentials on Facebook. She wanted a natural water birth for her second child after delivering her first by C-section.
A doula who assisted during the birth testified about Fouchee’s “we call the baby” protocol. The doula said Fouchee decided when babies should be born and used methods to speed up labor.
Trial Continues with Medical Oversight
Judge Papi Mosopa presides over the midwife baby deaths Pretoria trial. He is assisted by a medical doctor who acts as an assessor.
More mothers will testify as the trial continues.
