Alexi Bizos sentenced, nine years after assaulting ex-wife

Alexi Bizos, who attacked his then-wife Monique van Oosterhout in 2015 and left her with six broken ribs, has been slapped with a fine and ordered to perform community work.

The 63-year-old Bizos appeared in the Johannesburg magistrate’s court on Friday, where the sentence was handed down.

Sentence

AfriForum Private Prosecution Unit (PPU) spokesperson Barry Bateman said the court ordered Bizos to pay a fine of R100,000 and sentenced him to 12 months’ imprisonment wholly suspended and six months’ correctional supervision, which includes 20 hours a month of community work at centres for women.

“The sentencing of Alexi Bizos has sent a strong message to perpetrators of gender-based violence (GBV) that AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit will fight relentlessly for the victims of this scourge.

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Conviction

The son of late human rights lawyer Advocate George Bizos was convicted of assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm in July last year.

The court found him guilty of assaulting 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.

Attack

During her evidence-in-chief in the trial, led by Advocate Gerrie Nel, head of AfriForum’s PPU, Van Oosterhout told the court that on the evening of March 16 2015, she approached Bizos in his study after a verbal altercation with him.

Van Oosterhout said Bizos punched her in the face. She fell to the ground, and the attack continued with Bizos ramming her into the bookshelf, which resulted in fractures to her ribs.

Bizos pleaded not guilty, citing self-defence, saying Van Oosterhout was the aggressor, a claim she denied.

Van Oosterhout, who approached AfriForum’s PPU in 2018 when the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) failed to prosecute, suffered six broken ribs during the attack.

‘No remorse’

Magistrate Tshepo Twala said Bizos had shown no remorse for his crime and failed to acknowledge the wrongfulness of his actions.

Twala said said Bizos showed no insight into the crime he had committed nor appreciation of the impact it had on Van Oosterhout.

He said domestic violence is a scourge that is far too prevalent and demands robust punishment of the perpetrators.

“You cannot ignore that this was a vulnerable woman who was in the safety of her own home when she was assaulted. Gender-based violence gives the perpetrators power. In this case, the accused assaulted the complainant because he questioned her and undermined his authority.”

Bateman said  Bizos was spared imprisonment because of his age and that he was a first-time offender.

Relief

Van Oosterhout expressed relief that the case was finally over.

“I want to thank AfriForum for their perseverance and continued support. Not just for me, but for all women.”

 Nel said the sentence was appropriate.

“This private prosecution, the conviction and sentence sends a clear message to women to speak out, to not accept violence committed against them, because someone will listen to them. Although the criminal justice system has failed, women must not accept that they are victims.

“The court acknowledged the role it plays in fighting the scourge with sentences which reflect the seriousness of the crimes and serve as a deterrent,” said Nel.

Costs

Bateman said AfriForum’s PPU filed an application for a costs order against Bizos and the NPA to cover the costs of the private prosecution.

“The matter was postponed to 28 March for the ruling,” Bateman said.

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