In the murder trial of her 19-month-old daughter, Krisley Dirker, 38-year-old Kristen Clarke went on the stand on Thursday, October 16, 2025, in Gqeberha’s Eastern Cape High Court. The courtroom was silent. As she described her daughter’s last days in October 2013, the accused mother broke down in tears.
The courtroom was captivated by Kristen’s unfiltered testimony as she and her husband Robin Clarke faced charges of murder, assault, and neglect. Her words revealed a mother’s intolerable agony over the blunt force trauma that took Krisley’s life. Despite her nervous start, Kristen began her testimony by praising Krisley, the happy toddler who shone a light in their Morningside flat. With tears falling from her eyes, she recalled how the girl adored chasing bubbles and had big brown eyes.
She detailed her experience of working night hours as a nurse and leaving Krisley with Robin for two weeks. It was that morning that I kissed her goodbye. “Mama back soon,” she waved and said. I thought she would be okay. Kristen described her journey home on October 8 as she sobbed uncontrollably.
She wasn’t laughing as usual; I noticed she was quiet. Her limbs bore purple bruises resembling prints made by a hand. Robin claimed she fell while playing, yet she sobbed when I held her. “I should have rushed her to the emergency room at that moment,” she said, her voice trailing off as she sobbed into a tissue more.
She was hot and feverish, her little body. Even after I sung lullabies and fed her Panado, she continued to wail all night long. As Kristen recounted the last hours, the jury gasped. She refused to eat on October 9th, the following morning. As soon as I lifted her, her tender area swelled, and her head lolled. In a work-related communication, I told Robin, “Krisley’s not right.” If she was okay, he said. “By evening, she stopped breathing in my arms,” she said, clutching the dock as her sobs intensified. Doing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the floor, I yelled out for assistance.
Nothing shifted in her little chest. I prayed to God, asking him to return her. Krisley was taken to the hospital in a hurry by paramedics, but she was later declared dead due to her serious head injuries. Photos Kristen texted to friends early in the case showed Krisley’s bruised and abused body. The unit was the site of continual screaming, according to witnesses. The absence of marks was confirmed by Krisley’s father during his visit a few days prior.
They were accused by the state of inflicting deadly blows and disregarding medical attention. South African homes have the scars of child abuse, as this trial exposes. Childline uncovers thousands of hidden cases in the Eastern Cape every year, frequently in families that are already struggling. Mzansi communities are frustrated by the delays in their legal aid cases, as they are seeking fast justice.
Kristen embraced herself and whispered, “I’m sorry, baby,” as she stepped down, but the agony remained. The trial will resume next week, and the Clarkes are still free on bond. Listen to cries, act quickly, and safeguard the innocent before it’s too late—that is the message Krisley’s story is trying to send to parents across Mzansi. Read Original