George Bizos’ son Alexi convicted nine years after brutal assault on wife

The son of late human rights lawyer advocate George Bizos has been convicted of assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Alexi Bizos appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday where the judgment was handed down.

The court found him guilty of assaulting his estranged wife Monique van Oosterhout, more than nine years after punching her in their home in Johannesburg.

The assault happened in 2016 when Bizos and Van Oosterhout were still married.

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Van Oosterhout, who approached Afriforum‘s Private Prosecution Unit (PPU) when the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) failed to prosecute, suffered six broken ribs during the attack.

‘Nobody above law’

Spokesperson for the unit Barry Bateman said AfriForum’s PPU will continue its fight to ensure “nobody is above the law”.

“This conviction exposes the NPA’s selective prosecution and vindicates our belief that the decision not to prosecute Bizos was because of his relationship with the well-known George Bizos. The magistrate found that the accused was a poor witness and evasive and that his testimony was littered with inconsistencies.

“The court also rejected his claim that he was in fact the victim and was acting in self defence. On the other hand, the court found Van Oosterhout to be a good witness who painted a logical and clear picture of what happened,” Bateman said.

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Private prosecution

Bateman said the NPA initially declined to prosecute Bizos, but after AfriForum’s announcement in 2018 that the PPU had applied for a nolle prosequi certificate to prosecute Bizos, the NPA made an about-turn.

“Bizos was then invited to make representations to the NPA before the prosecution was instituted but upon receipt of his reply, the NPA yet again decided not to prosecute.

“This prompted Van Oosterhout, with the unit’s support, to apply for a certificate to privately prosecute Bizos,” Bateman said.

The Citizen contacted the NPA’s Phindi Mjonondwane for comment. It will be added once received.

‘Justice for women’

After judgment was handed down, Van Oosterhout said she would never have had the opportunity to tell her story if it wasn’t for AfriForum’s PPU.

“This is not just justice for my case, but justice for every single woman who’s been abused, accused, shamed and blamed. This should not be happening. I am also very keenly aware that if AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit had not taken up my case when I asked them for legal advice, we would not be here,” she said.”

The matter has been postponed to 23 August to set a date for the sentencing argument to take place.

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