Convicted child sex offender attacked on farm in Mpumalanga

Convicted child abuser Carl Lotter was attacked while working as a maintenance labourer on a commercial farm in Hoedspruit, reports Lowvelder.

Lotter was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment in February 2014 after being found guilty of eight counts of indecent assault and sexual abuse of two children of a family friend, but had subsequently been released on parole after just one year of his sentence.

A source close to the investigation over the attack said Lotter had allegedly been busy working and saw a stranger walking around the property, which he apparently presumed to be either an illegal harvester or a “bush butcher”, someone who actually slaughters cattle on farms illegally.

The source stated Lotter allegedly approached the man to chase him away and the man then attacked him with what appeared to be a panga. Hoedspruit police spokesperson Sgt Libhuwani Malaudzi confirmed the incident.

She said no arrests had been made, and that Lotter was currently in a critical condition at Mediclinic Nelspruit.

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A source close to the family said he had sustained a fracture on the left side of his head and he had bleeding on the brain. He also had an emergency operation to relieve the pressure on his brain.

Lotter’s conviction on child abuse had come after he had abused two girls who were both under the age of 10 at the time of the ongoing abuse.

During his trial, he was described by one of the state’s witnesses, a registered clinical psychologist, as a paedophile who would continue to pose a threat to children.

Lowvelder previously reported that the children’s father had said, “Carl treated my babies like adult women! Because of him they not only lost their childhood, but missed out on their entire teenage stage too, as they had to spend year after year in court. For the past 10 years, we have been on a roller-coaster ride of emotions. From the shock that day when our daughter told us what was happening to her and her sister, to anger, to disbelief that this is happening to us.”

In terms of Section 154(2) of the Criminal Procedure Act, no sexual offence accused may be identified before they have pleaded. Lowvelder will continue reporting on the case and identify the accused only when it is legal to do so.

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