Woman who kidnapped newborn baby known as 'South Africa's Madeleine McCann' and raised her until she was 18 is jailed for ten years

A woman who kidnapped a baby known as South Africa's Madeleine McCann before raising her until she turned 18 has been jailed for 10 years.

The woman - who cannot be identified - dressed as a nurse and snatched three-day-old baby Zephany Nurse while her mother slept in a hospital in 1997.

On March 10, Judge John Hlophe convicted the woman of kidnapping, fraud and contravening the Children's Act.

Jailing her today for 10 years, he said the crimes she committed were of a serious nature.
The woman was arrested in February 2015 after the teenager's true identity came to light.

Zephany's biological younger sister Cassidy told her parents that a girl in her final year at her school bore a striking resemblance to her and her parents.

DNA tests confirmed the teenager was Zephany.

The woman was then convicted of kidnapping Zephany when she was just three days old and the judge branded the defendant's tissue of lies as a 'fairytale'

The biological family of the now teenager, who was brought up in a web of deceit and is known as South Africa's Madeleine McCann, gave a low cheer as Judge John Hlope refused to grant bail following her conviction.

The woman took Zephany Nurse from Groote Schuur hospital in Cape Town in April 1997 while her mother was in bed recovering from a C-section.