Nanny faces attempted murder after a nanny cam caught her throwing a baby into a crib. Source: Live Leak / This Is Butter
A mother who watched on a "nanny cam" as her childminder viciously assaulted her baby girl has described feeling "betrayed" and "a failure" for trusting the woman.
Annemarie Theron described to MailOnline how she "cried and cried", cradling bruised and battered 9-month-old Laila, as she saw the appalling footage recorded on the camera that had been installed only hours before.
The 31-year-old and her husband, Johan, had become suspicious of Nicolin Hoeses after finding mysterious injuries on their daughter, who also seemed "frightened" of her nanny.
The nanny walks into the bedroom carrying baby Laila by the neck, pictured. She appears to clear the bed, preparing to put the 9-month-old in it. Photo / Liveleak
Theron, who lives in Namibia but is from Zimbabwe, told MailOnline, "I watched the footage back with my mother-in-law - we had only installed the camera that morning.
"When I saw what she had done to Laila, I cried and cried. I held my baby girl close and kept telling her I was so sorry.
"I had so many emotions - betrayed, and a complete failure as a mum. It was the worst feeling I have ever had and never, ever want another mother to have to go through that."
The hidden camera captures the terrifying moment a 9-month-old baby is abused by her child carer. Photo / Liveleak
Hoeses, who has four children of her own, was arrested after the attack and is now in custody facing a charge of attempted murder.
She appeared in court on Monday and was denied bail, remaining in custody until October.
She had come to the couple highly recommended by friends who had employed her for the previous two years to care for their two children.
"They feel absolutely terrible now," Theron revealed, "they had had no suspicions about her at all, but are now doing their own investigations with the children with the help of a therapist."
Theron also described how she has struggled to eat and sleep after the assault last Wednesday at the couple's home in a remote corner of Namibia, knowing that the abuse had possibly gone on for some time.
The mother, a sales and reservations manager at a tourist lodge in the town of Outjo, recalled finding bruises on the bottom of Laila's feet in July and then noticed bruises on her neck and shoulders last month.
"I didn't want to be a paranoid first-time mum, and I didn't want to confront the nanny as I had no proof. I did not want to make her angry towards me and put my child in danger.
"It was very difficult to leave each morning to go to work.
"My husband was home for a couple of days earlier this month and thought that Laila seemed frightened of her childminder.
"One day, she had had a fall, we were told, and had a bruise above her eyes, which were so swollen with all the crying she had done. She looked terrible."
Last Wednesday, the couple activated a camera they had secretly installed in their bedroom, where Laila's cot was, the MailOnline reported.
The appalling footage shows Hoeses walking into shot while carrying Laila by her neck and shoulder.
She begins to tidy the bed and then, shockingly, throws the baby down face-first into the cot with a thud as though she were a rag doll. The child is heard crying as the nanny leaves the room.
Laila, who is just beginning preschool, is fine despite the ordeal.
Mum Annemarie Theron posted a picture of Laila on Facebook on Sunday, thanking everyone for the support their family received, including husband Johan. Photo / Facebook
And despite having damning footage, Theron told how she could not confront the violent carer until she had reported her to the authorities, and so was forced to "act normal" the day after the attack when she came to work.
"I knew I had to do it by the book and report her to the correct authorities so that she would be dealt with properly. I didn't want her to be able to get another job looking after children," she said.
Taking Laila with her, Theron reported the matter to the welfare and police authorities and the woman was arrested the following day.
"I feel so angry and betrayed. She has looked me in the eye for how long and been doing whatever she was doing to my daughter, I can't even think about it.
"I didn't expect to see what I saw and I was absolutely shattered. I was horrified that she could look me in the eye - like she did everyday. My heart breaks," she added.
For now, Laila is attending a playgroup in the morning and going to work with her mother in the afternoons.
"It is not going to be a solution in the long term," Theron explained, "but I have to wait a while to see if I can trust another person again to look after her."
She added: "Not all maids are bad. I grew up with a maid my whole life. It is just going to take some time to trust people and I'm sure that time will come."
Laila's story, she said, has shed more light on the nanny's character and people have come forward citing violence at home, particularly when paired with alcohol.
And speaking of Hoeses' four children, she said: "I don't know who is going to look after them now. There's a part of me that feels guilty."
