Bail Denied for One of the Suspects Arrested for 4-Year-Old Child’s Drug Case
- The Johannesburg Magistrates Court denied the bail application of one of the suspects arrested for allegedly giving a child drugs
- Four people from Newclare were arrested in August after a video of them forcing a four-year-old to smoke a pipe went viral
- The judge ruled that the accused might endanger the community, and South Africans were happy that he would remain behind bars
With 10 years’ experience, Tebogo Mokwena, a current affairs writer for Briefly News, provided insights into the criminal justice system, crime statistics, and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.
Source: Getty Images
JOHANNESBURG— One of the four suspects arrested for making a little child smoke drugs in Newclare, Johannesburg, was denied bail when they appeared before the Johannesburg Magistrates' court on 22 August 2025.
According to SABC News, the presiding Magistrate Annalisa Tlhapi denied one of the suspects bail. She said that releasing him might increase the risk of his evading trial, and he might endanger other children in the area.
Tlhapi said that the suspect is facing serious charges and was also previously convicted on a drug possession charge. She added that the suspect poses a risk not only of smoking drugs but also of passing drugs to the child to smoke.
PAY ATTENTION: Briefly News is now on YouTube! Check out our interviews on Briefly TV Life now!
Why were the suspects arrested?
The four suspects, including the child's mother, were arrested on 30 July after a video of them forcing the toddler to smoke a drug pipe went viral. Community members and law enforcement apprehended the suspects, and they were arrested.
The suspects were charged with attempted murder and child abuse for exposing the child to a harmful substance. Three of the suspects abandoned their bail application, and they have been remanded in custody since their arrest in July.
Source: Getty Images
What did South Africans say?
Netizens commenting on Facebook were happy that the suspect was denied bail.
Debra Thomas said:
"Awesome. They must stay there."
Thandiwe Ngo Memela Ngwekazi said:
"I just hope the kid is not addicted. Glad the bail was denied. They should rot in prison."
Tillie Botha said:
"They must never be allowed out of jail."
Clement Moyo said:
"Good. They must all stay in jail."
Otshepeng Tsepi Martins said:
"They don't deserve any sympathy for what they did to the child. A child. Someone whose future is still ahead of him. Their future should also be cut short by them facing the might of the law."
Charles Chakuringa said:
"Lock him and throw the keys in the dam."
KwzZulju-Natal woman abandons little child for lobola negotiations
In a related article, Briefly News reported that a woman from KwaZulu-Natal was criticized after she left her child with street vendors at the Verulam Central Business District to attend lobola negotiations. The incident happened on 1 August 2025.
The woman asked two vendors to stay with her child while she shopped. However, she disappeared, and when the women called her, they discovered that she was in another part of KwaZulu-Natal with her new boyfriend, where she was attending a lobola negotiation ceremony.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
Source: Briefly News
