'I didn't expect it to happen again' - Mother of baby snatched from Middlemore in 2012

Sandeep Kaur with 8-month-old daughter Tamneet, who was kidnapped hours after her birth. Photo / Richard Robinson

Sandeep Kaur had heard of kidnappings in India but was shocked it could happen here

The mother of a newborn baby that was abducted from Middlemore hospital in 2012 says she is shocked it has happened again.

Tamneet Kaur, now two-years-old, was taken from her mother Sandeep Kaur just hours after she was born by a woman who had suffered a miscarriage. She was found soon after in the carpark and later charged with kidnapping.

Mrs Kaur said the news the latest kidnapping from the hospital shocked and saddened her.

"When I heard the news I was scared and so sorry for the mother, but happy because they found the baby.

"I didn't expect it to happen again," she told the Herald.

She said hospital had apologised in 2012 and vowed to increase security after the kidnapping. "But from that time to now nothing has happened and I feel very sad."

She said it took her a long time to recover from the incident, and it would be the same for Mrs Pretorius, but things would eventually go back to normal.

Mrs Kaur said if she was pregnant again she would not use Middlemore hospital.