A 60-year-old woman who single-handedly raised five children has been granted sole custody of her five-year-old grandson after a court ruled that his mother – the grandmother’s daughter – was irresponsible and not in a position to raise him.

The court heard how the grandmother had raised the young child since he was one year old following temporary court orders.

His father was unknown and his mother, 26, showed no interest in him. She did not see him for many months and had been prepared to give him up for adoption.

In July 2016 the grandmother and her daughter came to blows and the mother was arrested by the police.

The incident was witnessed by the young boy, who was traumatised and has since been receiving treatment.

He has since then not seen his mother again. She did not even seek contact at Christmas or on his birthdays.

The mother did not reply to the court summons and the grandmother testified that she did not know where she is. It is believed that she is suffering from depression.

The grandmother told the court that she was seeking permanent custody of the child because she could not bear to see him abandoned by his mother or living in an institute.

The court in its decision said it had been proven that the mother had failed to care for the child. She was immature and irresponsible, to the extent that the boy's very life could be endangered.

The court, therefore, ordered that the mother be divested of her parental rights and, since the father was unknown, sole custody was being entrusted to the grandmother.

No access rights were granted to the mother, with the court noting that she had given up such access when she had it, she had come to blows with her own mother, she had abandoned and wanted to give the child, and she had not responded to the court summons.

However the decision on access could be changed in the future if the mother tried to build some form of relationship with her son, the court said.