Meet the Four-Legged Hero Who Made South African Legal History Comforting a Child Witness
As soon as you step through the door of the Jelly Beanz Foundation in Table View, the quick, eager clicking of nails on the floor announces her arrival. Then she appears: Toffee Beanz, a caramel-coloured golden retriever with soft brown eyes and a tail that simply never stops wagging. She greets you as though it is her life’s mission to make you feel safe and just a little lighter.
Dressed in a pink harness proudly stitched with the words "Fur Therapist", three-and-a-half-year-old Toffee moves from room to room, pausing wherever she is needed most. But this gentle canine recently stepped far outside the walls of her therapy centre, doing something no therapy dog in South Africa has ever done before.
On the 29th of April, Toffee made legal history when she sat beside a nine-year-old boy as he testified in the high court in Cape Town. She officially became the first therapy dog in the country to be permitted to support a child witness in court.
The child was facing an almost unimaginable burden. He was testifying in an ongoing murder case regarding his friend, eight-year-old Daniel Jamneck, who tragically died during a sleepover at the child’s home in Kraaifontein in June 2023. The nine-year-old boy’s father stands accused in connection with Daniel’s death.
Testifying in such harrowing circumstances is a massive undertaking for a young child, but Toffee was there to help him carry the weight. The young witness, who is passionate about animals, had already received therapy at Jelly Beanz and formed a special bond with Toffee.
During his testimony, the boy sat alongside social worker Edith Kriel in a separate room equipped with CCTV cameras while the proceedings continued in the main courtroom. Toffee lay calmly on an elevated platform beside him, close enough for him to reach out and touch.
“The witness could stroke her, feel her warmth, feel her breath and fully immerse himself in the presence of the dog for safety and calm,” Edith says, recalling the historic day. “There were so many moments where Toffee and the witness looked at each other and just smiled.”
Edith (55) explains that making history was never the goal; her only concern was supporting the young, vulnerable witness.
“When I became involved in this case, I spoke to the advocates about the possibility of bringing Toffee Beanz to court. It was wonderful to see how open they were to trying it. They could, after all, have simply said no,” she says.
Edith, who has dedicated 33 years of her life to fighting for children, co-founded the Jelly Beanz Foundation in 2010 alongside clinical psychologist Marita Rademeyer. The non-profit organisation offers specialised support to children who have experienced trauma, abuse, and neglect. The centre sees around 400 children a year, providing a safe space where broken hearts slowly become whole again.
Interestingly, Edith began her social worker career in a paediatric ward at a Johannesburg hospital, initially terrified of working with kids because they can be so unpredictable. “But the more I worked with them, I loved it. I’m so passionate about children,” she says.
Toffee is not the first dog to help traumatised children process their pain at the foundation. Edith’s first therapy dog was a brown Newfoundland named Danni Beanz, whose gentle presence originally shaped the foundation’s approach to canine therapy. After Danni passed away, Edith adopted Toffee from Honey’s Garden for Medical Alert Dogs SA, an organisation that pairs trained service dogs with people.
“I immediately fell in love with her,” Edith says. Toffee has been walking into the office with Edith every morning since she was just eight weeks old. After being trained for two years as a certified service dog, Edith knew Toffee was perfect for the job the day the dog slowly crawled towards a crying, distressed child during a therapy session and gently rested her head against him.
The need for the comfort Toffee provides is devastatingly high. According to Edith, one in three children in South Africa will experience abuse before the age of 17.
“Many people think it only happens to girls and women, but boys are also tremendously vulnerable,” she says. She notes that a child's disruptive behaviour is often dismissed as naughty when it is, in fact, a desperate cry for help.
To ensure these cries are heard, Jelly Beanz works closely with the departments of social development, health, and education, as well as the police and other non-profit organisations.
Edith dreams of expanding this impact by opening more Jelly Beanz centres. She has even authored a children’s picture book, *Ons Wonderlike Lyfies* (Our Wonderful Bodies), to teach children about bodily safety and boundaries.
“Abuse does not form part of your identity,” she says emphatically. “It is not who you are. We must learn to respect children more, truly listen to them and see them as people in their own right.” She hopes Toffee’s recent presence in the high court will open doors for therapy dogs in courtrooms across South Africa, making it standard practice rather than a rare exception.
Outside of her serious office hours, Toffee remains gloriously unaware of her groundbreaking achievements. She loves visiting the beach, charms everyone she meets at the gym or in church, and plays naturally with kids on the sand.
“She is a bit goofy but an absolute sweetheart. She is very attached to her mom – this tail follows me everywhere,” Edith laughs. “People are just crazy about her. Goldies are people dogs, after all.”
When visitors leave the foundation, Toffee insists on walking them to the gate, as if ensuring they get home safely. This inherent compassion has earned her the title of "the story keeper" among the Jelly Beanz staff, as children frequently whisper their darkest secrets into her furry ears.
“Most children are abused by adults. When they enter therapeutic spaces, it doesn’t matter how loving or friendly you are, they don’t consider all adults to be safe,” Edith says, gently stroking Toffee's head. “A dog fills this gap by loving you unconditionally and never judging you.”
