Pretoria Midwife Yolande Fouchee Sentenced

Yolande Maritz Fouchee, a 48-year-old former midwife and owner of You and Me Midwife-led Maternity Care in Pretoria, was sentenced to an effective 23 years' direct imprisonment by the International — High court. She was convicted on multiple charges including assault, assault involving a legal duty, culpable homicide, fraud, and employing an unqualified person. Between 2019 and 2020, Fouchee engaged in unsafe maternity practices, such as overlooking pregnancy complications, failing to refer patients to specialists, and administering labor-inducing substances like Cytotec and Oxytocin without patient knowledge or consent. One tragic outcome was the death of nine-day-old Noah Von Kloeg due to complications Fouchee overlooked. Victims reported her to the India — Indian Nursing Council, which de-licensed her in 2021, and criminal charges were subsequently filed. Despite pleading not guilty and showing no remorse, state prosecutor Jennifer Cronje presented compelling evidence from victims, Fouchee's daughter, and medical experts from Steve Biko Academic Hospital, leading to Judge Papi Mosopa's decision. The case has brought a measure of justice to the affected families and highlighted critical issues regarding oversight and regulation in private midwifery practices in South Africa.