Case of alleged kidnapper Naseem Slamang postponed for third time this year

The gradual inching forward of the wheels of justice can be easily stagnated under the heavy load of society’s mounting problems.

The man central to the September 2020 Florida pizzeria child attack incident, Naseem Slamang, appeared in the Roodepoort Magistrates’ Court again on 25 March. Slamang faces multiple charges including common assault and attempted kidnapping after he hurdled the pizzeria’s balustrade and violently grabbed a small child.

The heroic owner of the establishment wrestled Slamang to the ground, rescuing the girl in full view of CCTV cameras which recorded the much-viewed video footage.

Little progress has been made since his December court appearance where the case was postponed while the court awaited the victim assessment report. The accused appeared on 16 February when the matter was again postponed due to the victim assessment report not being ready, with the same reason being given for a subsequent postponement on 9 March.

The reason for the delay in the victim assessment report is the backlog currently being experienced by The Teddy Bear Clinic. The entity that provides therapy and support for abused children and their parents had already been experiencing a backlog before the coronavirus health scare engulfed the world, with the events of 2020 further exacerbating the issue.

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The clinic operates with roughly 30 trained counsellors who service the greater Johannesburg region, acting as objective advisors to the courts. “Victim assessment reports record the victims’ experiences in their own words, paying attention to the visual and auditory sensations felt during a traumatic event. The clinic, through the report, acts as a consultant of the court, reaching no conclusion but acting to inform the court in an impartial manner,” explained Clinical Director, Dr Shaheda Omar.

Victims undergo a maximum of five sessions and a minimum of three sessions, and before the final submission, each session is meticulously documented, with the final report reviewing all the sessions to establish consistency and credibility. Dr Omar is acutely aware of the stress caused by the delayed process, saying, “Young children are not in a position to understand the nature of the backlog and this can cause a reopening of the wound”.

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Each time Slamang has appeared via audio-visual remand, where the accused addressed the magistrate from Krugersdorp prison. The matter has now been postponed to 28 April while the court awaits the still outstanding victim assessment report. The accused remains in custody until his date arrives to again show his face on the court’s television monitors.