Wife of “monster” fights for bail

The 36-year-old wife of the man dubbed the Springs Monster was fighting for bail on Tuesday in Springs Regional Court Two.

Appearing before regional magistrate Bennita Oswell the mother, as well as her sister and the investigating officer testified about the possibility of granting her bail.

The case was postponed until Wednesday.

Family, as well as Springs residents attended the bail application. 

One group had placards outside court, requesting no bail for this woman.

Lynton Daries, the state prosecutor did not ask the mother to plead, but indicated that she might be on trial for defeating the ends of justice, assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm, attempted murder and child abuse. 

The mother did not testify on the facts of the court case, but only to get bail.
She said she did not want to leave her husband as she said to her sister, because she loved him. 

They have been married for 19 years after she met her husband when she was 17 and married when she turned 20.

The mother never worked and is dependent on her husband for an income.

She also lived all her life in Springs and doesn’t even have a passport.

She left school in standard eight because she cannot read or write and according to her both the police officers that took her statements from her knew about this problem when she signed it.

She denied allegations of her husband raping her in the first affidavit and heard about it for the first time from her sister.

She did not sign the second, more comprehensive affidavit, because it was not finished and the police were supposed to get her to sign it.

The mom felt she was unfairly treated when she was arrested.

She promised to stay for the full round of her hearing

Daries called the investigating officer, W/O Rudi Jansen van Vuuren of the SAPS public violence and sexual abuse unit to testify in opposition to the mother’s bail application. 

He said the mother may interfere with the state’s witnesses, as she knew everyone.

She also did not co-operate with the police in solving the case of her husband.

Van Vuuren said the mum was with her husband when they took their 11

-year-old son to Warden to conceal this assaulted child from the police.

The dad apparently assaulted the boy on May 19 after the child lost his dad’s car keys.

The son apparently went to neighbours for help when he realised that he did not find the keys and was scared that his dad will hit him.

The dad then got him from the neighbour’s house and apparently assaulted the child in such a manner that he had to be hidden in Warden.

Van Vuuren said the mother knew about this assault and she was with her husband in his office to open a missing persons case for their son after they took him to Warden.

He explained the police found the boy in Warden with injuries to his face, with eyes blood shot and blue under the eyes.

There were also old wounds like that of hitting the boy with a knob-kierie that were never attended to.

Van Vuuren said after the dad’s arrest the mother gave him one statement on July 19. 

He asked her sister, who was with her when she laid down this statement, to write down everything the mother wanted to say in a little book to compile a more comprehensive report. 

He said the police did manage to finish that statement, but the mom refused on June 23 to sign it, saying she had a lawyer and it was not necessary to give her co-operation.

She was arrested the same day.

Van Vuuren also lifted the lid on how this family lived.

This family consisting of dad, mom, a 16-year-old daughter, an 11-year-old son, a 4-year-old girl, a 3-year-old girl and a 2-year-old boy.

He said there was a foul odor in the house.

The whole place was dirty and it was clear that rats and mice lived in that house, as their droppings were visible everywhere and especially in the corners of the rooms and in the kitchen.

There was dirty clothing everywhere on little heaps and none the clothing that was in the cupboard were on hangers.

The washing machine, as well as tumble dryer were also full of dirty washing.

Cupboards were open and some hinges were gone.

“This was definitely not hygienic,” he said.

To eat the family ate bread or take-aways.

Van Vuuren said none of the two bigger children went to school and the younger ones did not attend pre-school.

Although the parents said the children received home schooling, they could not find any evidence or books to prove it.

After testing the children’s intellectual abilities it was found that all were behind their peers, including the little ones.

Upon questioning the condition of the house the mother apparently said to Van Vuuren that the 16-year-old girl was supposed to clean and look after the young ones.

The mother stayed in her home in Brakpan after her husband’s arrest and the sister helped the mom to compile the list in the little book, which facts were used in the second statement.

The sister, who also testified on behalf of the state, said the mother had that book.

She said the mother one day announced to her that she was going to live with her husband’s family in Springs in a caravan in the back yard.

She testified that the mother was scared of Van Vuuren and that the mom felt she had to give him what he wanted, because she did not want to be locked away.



The wife of the “Springs Monster” is fighting for bail.