Amy’Leigh kidnap accused say Sun City prison too dangerous and overcrowded for them
The group have still not been granted bail and will have to sit out another week.
Tharina Human, Laetitia Nel, Pieter Jacobus van Zyl at the Vanderbijl Magistrates Court where they are accused of being the kidnappers of Amy’Leigh and were appearing for their bail hearing, 19 September 2019. Picture Neil McCartney
The bail application of the three people accused of kidnapping 6-year-old Amy’Leigh de Jager has been postponed until October 1.
Tharina Human, Laetitia Nel, and Pieter Jacobus van Zyl, will remain in prison until the hearing resumes.
Prior to this, Magistrate Hussein Khota denied two of the accused, Human and Nel, their request to be moved from the Johannesburg prison to one in Vanderbijlpark. They have cited alleged threats and the overcrowding of their jail cells – where they say over 70 people are being held – as their reasons for wanting to move.
Vaal Weekblad reported that the trio was arrested last week and appeared in a packed magistrate’s court in the town.
The trio was in court on a formal bail application on Thursday and proceedings were still under way.
The African National Congress Women’s League in Sedibeng demonstrated outside the court. The Women’s League’s Fetty Mnguni said they were calling for no bail.
“We are saying no bail to the abductors. We are not going to allow our children and women to be victims of abuse and child kidnapping. We are saying no bail today, no bail at all.”
Human, who has since been fired from her teaching post at Laerskool Kollegapark, is alleged to be the mastermind behind the kidnapping and will appear before Judge Hussein Khota.
After being kidnapped, six-year-old Amy’Leigh was taken to a smallholding in Rosashof near Vanderbijlpark. She was made to stay put in a cooling room under a water tank, reports Vaal Weekblad.
(Compiled by Daniel Friedman)
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