State vs defence in “Springs Monster” case

The trial of the Springs Monster and his wife, who stand accused of multiple charges including alleged drug dealing, severe abuse and neglect of their children and failing to send their children to school, has been delayed.

The woman has pleaded not guilty to all charges against her while her husband has pleaded guilty to one of the 22 charges against him – interfering with a police officer while he was on duty during an investigation.

The trial, which resumed in the High Court in Pretoria on October 9, was once again delayed after counsel for the mother told the court they wanted to appoint a psychologist to do further investigations.

According to court reporter for The Citizen (a Caxton newspaper), Ilse de Lange, state prosecutor Jennifer Cronje attacked forensic criminologist Dr Pixie du Toit’s testimony which claims the 39-year-old mother had “no will of her own” and was like “a puppet on a string.”

De Lange has been covering the trial of the Springs Monster and his wife since it began in May 2016 and was in court for this round testimony which began last Monday.

Du Toit’s findings, during her testimony for the woman, were questioned by the state.

Her findings stated the woman was a victim of her abusive husband and had to endure regular beatings from her husband including electric shocks.

The state sharply attacked the evidence of du Toit who implied the accused may not be accountable for her actions which include the neglect of her children.

The state accused du Toit of doing tests only a psychologist was permitted to do and based her findings, that the mother had no will of her own after being abused by her husband for years, on speculation.

Du Toit says she trained in America where she learnt to use some of the tests and had used them as part of her forensic evaluations for many years.

The state prosecutor pointed out numerous discrepancies between the conclusions in du Toit’s report and the woman’s actual evidence in court during the course of the trial.

Cronje had put it to du Toit that the woman blames others, including her 11-year-old son, and took no responsibility for her own actions.

She blamed her son by saying everything was his fault because he was “very naughty”.

The woman also attempted to lay all the blame on her husband.

Cronje also put it to du Toit that she compiled her report from the point of view that the woman was a victim of her circumstances.

Du Toit admits she said the woman had symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and Stockholm syndrome, but denies diagnosing her.

She also admitted she didn’t test the mother’s intelligence quotient (IQ), to which she testified in November 2016, but referred in her report to the woman’s dyslexia and “low intellect”, which might influence her accountability.

In her most recent testimony, du Toit stood by her views that battered women, such as the Monster’s wife, displayed the same symptoms as Stockholm syndrome victims.

Cronje has told the court that she will seek to reopen the state’s case in order to present evidence from investigative forensic psychologist Prof Gerard Laubschagne.

At the time of publishing, no outcome was available of the trial which was set to continue tomorrow (October 18).

Case to date:

• May 24, 2014 – the man was arrested the day after the couple’s eldest son escaped from his parents’ house in Springs and ran to their neighbours asking for help.

• June 2014 – The man was denied bail and remains in custody at Modderbee Prison.

• June 23, 2014 – his wife was also arrested.

• July 4, 2014 – the woman was granted bail which has been extended throughout the trial.

• May 23, 2016 – exactly two years after the man’s arrest the trial began. The oldest daughter and son testified against both parents in-camera.

• July 2016 – Col Johan Alberts of the Germiston explosives unit testified against the couple.

• November 2016 – Judge Eben Jordaan ordered that the woman spend 30 days in Weskoppies Psychiatric Unit undergoing evaluation.

• December 2016 – the trial resumed for the handing over of the psychiatric report to the judge. The judge was then required to take a decision on whether the woman was fit to stand trial and the matter was postponed to 2017.

• March 2017 – the trial resumed and the woman was called to testify.

• May 2016 – current proceedings as detailed about.