Susanna van Bengale was a slave of the Dutch East India Company in Cape Colony (modern-day South Africa). On June 17, 1699, 29-year-old Susanna gave birth to her second child, a daughter named Elsje. On December 8th little Elsje had died.
Susanna was interrogated about the girl's death on December 11th. She only confessed after she was tortured with thumbscrews. She claimed that she had strangled her daughter from desperation because she was unable to feed her. She said that her pleas for help were ignored.
She went to trial on the 12th and was found guilty and sentenced to death. Susanna was originally sentenced to have her breasts be ripped off with hot irons and to be burned alive. This was changed to her being sewed into a rock weighted sack and tossed into the Table Bay. She was then executed this way on December 13th.
SOURCES:
Executed Today
Of Warriors, Lovers and Prophets: Unusual Stories from South Africa's Past
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