South African woman, 71, jailed 20 years for killing three great-grandchildren

A South African court has sentenced a 71-year-old woman to 20 years in prison for deliberately killing her three great-grandchildren by driving them off a cliff.

According to PUNCH, Susana “Sarie” De Villiers was sentenced by the Worcester Regional Court in Western Cape for the November 20, 2021, killings.

The victims, Caleb, eight, Gradwell, five, and Joshua, two, died after their great-grandmother drove her vehicle off Bainskloof Pass.

Prosecutors said De Villiers had collected the children while their caregiver attended a wedding.

Instead of returning them home, she drove towards the mountain pass and deliberately plunged down the slope.

De Villiers survived the crash, but all three children sustained fatal injuries.

During proceedings, she claimed diminished responsibility, saying “something switched off” before the incident.

However, psychiatric examinations found her mentally fit and capable of understanding her actions.

The court imposed 20-year sentences for each murder, ordering them to run concurrently.

Prosecutors welcomed the judgment.