Date set for ‘Springs Monster’ trial
The man dubbed the Springs Monster and his wife will now face 21 charges when they go on trial in May.
|||Pretoria - The man dubbed the Springs Monster and his wife will go on trial in the High Court in Pretoria from May 23 to May 27 2016.
The couple, who may not be identified to protect their children, on Friday briefly appeared in court.
A report from Weskoppies Hospital in Pretoria was handed to the court, which stated that the man does not suffer from any mental defect and that he can meaningfully contribute to the court proceedings.
It was also found that at the time of him allegedly committing the crimes, he could distinguish between right and wrong.
His wife appeared alone in court two weeks ago, as her now estranged husband was still under observation in the mental institution.
The State meanwhile added three more charges to the indictment and the pair will now face 21 charges.
The charges relate to abuse of their five children - aged 2, 3, 4, 11 and 16.
The three additional charges are rape and the possession and dealing in drugs.
The prosecution did not want to divulge any information at this stage regarding the additional charges and the latest indictment is not yet available. It is understood that more charges could be added.
The man was arrested after his 11-year-old son raised alarm.
He was allegedly hit with a knobkierie on his head and body and nearly drowned by his father.
The mother was arrested about a month later when it came to light that none of the children attended school and according to medical reports, all the children except the youngest, had wounds across their bodies.
Pretoria News