Teen in court for alleged murder of 27-year-old woman

A thirteen-year-old boy from Prince Albert, Western Cape, appears in the children’s court for the second time on Wednesday in connection with the murder of a 27-year-old woman on Christmas Day.

Sergeant Nico April, head of local police communications, confirmed the murder of Veronica Baartman.

“A complaint was attended on the afternoon of 26 December 26 at 327 Aalwyn Street in Prince Albert. A woman, a 27-year-old, was found dead at the scene. Inquiries were made and a 13-year-old was arrested after evidence was obtained that he had allegedly stabbed her with a knife. 

“According to eyewitnesses, the deceased and the boy fought with each other. The boy was assessed by the social services and released into the care of his mother. The boy first appeared in the children’s court on Monday, 28 December.

“An autopsy showed that the woman was stabbed in the lung with a sharp object.”

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According to April, the case was adjourned until 6 January.

Eyewitnesses say that the boy apparently did not have the knife with him at first, but after the quarrel arose between him and the deceased, he went to get it elsewhere and allegedly attacked Veronica.

Anton Baartman from Mossel Bay, brother of the deceased, told Oudtshoorn Courant that he was not only shocked by the circumstances of his sister’s death, “but also by the lack of information that the Prince Albert police told us as Veronica’s family”.

“My older brother, Ryno and I tried in vain to find out what exactly happened. We did not receive any autopsy reports. Fortunately, my employer came to Prince Albert to find out more. The only one who came to offer his help and sympathised was Hannes van der Westhuizen from this police station. “

Veronica was buried in Prince Albert last Saturday morning.

This article was translated from Afrikaans and republished from Oudtshoorn Courant  with permission

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