An Elsies River woman is living in fear after several fake Facebook posts started circulating, claiming that she kidnapped a missing baby at a retail store last year.
The 27-year-old was made aware of the posts by a colleague on February 27.
The baby, Kai-Isha Meniers, was snatched by an unknown woman from Shoprite in Bishop Lavis on April 30, 2022 while her mom Francis, 41, was inside the store running errands for a neighbour.
One fake post, bearing a SAPS logo, claims that the woman was working with “two Nigerian allies” and also tried to kidnap a pupil from Erica Primary School, and was wanted in Hermanus for human trafficking.
The posts on the Elsies River Community Facebook page have since been removed.
“I was on sick leave that day and my colleague sent me the post. I was laughing and thought they were making a joke,” the worried woman told the Daily Voice.
“I called the number on the post and told the detective that my face was going around and I heard they were looking for me and we could meet up,” she says.
The vrou met the detective at Elsies River police station, and her statement was taken.
She was assured that the cops were not looking for her, that it was a fake Facebook post, and that a SAPS media statement would be released soon to clear her name.
One Facebook user commented, “Waar in Elsies bly die p**s”, while another woman wrote, “Kry die f**ken t**f (voordat daar) nog kinders weg raak asb mense dt hang nou vn julle af om die kinders te beskerm”.
The woman said these comments suggest that her life is under threat.
“I get transport to pick me up at home and drop me off. I’m even too scared to book an Uber because the post states I have two Nigerian allies.
“I isolated myself from social media because I was crazy scared, but the police statement was never released,” she explained.
“In March, I decided to open a complaint against SAPS because I was fearing for my life and scared that if I breathe near a child in public, it would escalate to something.”
She claims that the person who made the posts stole her pictures from her social media accounts.
“The pictures that are on the one poster were on my Facebook page from years ago where I am holding my godchild. The other picture was on my WhatsApp status so the public did not have any access to it, so I assume it’s someone who knows me but I can’t think of who.”
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk confirmed that the woman’s complaint against SAPS was under investigation and said that she “needs to wait for a response”.
marsha.dean@inl.co.za