Owner of a day care centre, run over 10 children and killed NRI baby

Miracle baby’ buried after creche horror
Pietermaritzburg, Aug 02, 2008
Thetimes
Nivashni Nair

They waited 18 years for their “miracle baby”, but just nine months after she was born Saiona Moonsamy’s parents have been left devastated by their daughter’s death in a “freak accident” at a Pietermaritzburg creche on Tuesday.

Sid and Anita Moonsamy buried their baby girl yesterday.

Sid Moonsamy told The Times that the family have no intention of taking action against Roshnee Hemraj, who runs the creche.

“Right now, we can’t think about that … but even in time we can’t do anything,” he said.

Moonsamy said the family decided to hold the funeral as soon as possible, in the hope that it would speed up the healing process.

A close friend of the couple, Aumungh Singh, whose daughter was also enrolled at Aunty Roshnee’s Day Care, said she narrowly escaped a similar fate.

Singh fetched his four-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Chimeeka, from the creche a half an hour before Hemraj drove her husband’s car into the garage, which had been converted into a playpen.

He said: “I don’t know why but I decided to fetch my daughter early. Then I got a phone call telling me to go to the hospital because the day mother had run over 10 children. When we got to the hospital, we were told that Saiona had died.

“The other nine children are in a stable condition at hospital.”

Singh said the Moonsamys, who have an 18-year-old son, had wanted another child for many years.

“They tried but after 18 years I think you just stop trying. Anita’s pregnancy came as a surprise but they were so excited and the baby brought such joy to their lives. She was their miracle baby.”

Hemraj’s husband reportedly arrived home shortly after 3pm and parked the car in front of the garage.

Hemraj decided to move the car, but, instead of reversing, she accidentally engaged a forward gear and drove into the garage, hitting the children, who were playing inside.

Police spokesman Superintendent Henry Budhram said: “ We are investigating and will send the docket to the Director of Public Prosecutions to decide whether to prosecute.”