The court case against the two accused facing charges for the murder of Chevonne Rusch (2) from Germiston was remanded.

The case, which was heard in Germiston Magistrate’s Court on September 13, was postponed to November 6 to allow for further investigation by the state.

 

Rochelle Botha, mother of the two-year-old girl,  made her third appearance while Cornelius Stefan van Niekerk made his fourth appearance.

The accused duo appeared together in the dock of D court at Germiston Magistrate’s Court. Accused number one, Van Niekerk, faces charges of murder while accused number two, Botha, faces charges of murder of a minor, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and rape of a minor.

Before the case was postponed, Botha’s legal representative informed the court that she provisionally abandoned her bail application.

In light of this, the prosecution requested that the case be remanded to allow for further investigation.

It went on to inform the court that the matter would proceed to the High Court.

Information that the prosecution said is still outstanding include the post-mortem report, DNA results of the deceased as well ass of two other minor children, and information from the accused’s’ cellphones.

The magistrate informed Botha and van Niekerk that once investigations are completed an indictment would be prepared by the director of public prosecutions.

Although Botha and van Niekerk had provisionally abandoned their bail applications, the magistrate reminded them that they retain the right to apply for bail applications.

Following the postponement, van Niekerk and Botha will remain in custody.

In May it was reported that a case of murder was opened after the deceased child was taken to Wannenburg Clinic in Primrose.

SAPS spokesperson Sergeant Lillian Modiga Primrose and police officers were called to the clinic shortly after 13:00 on May 11.

“When officers arrived, nurses showed them a child who was brought in by a man believed to be the child’s stepfather.

“The child was wrapped in a blanket and had blood in her mouth and bruises all over her body. She also had a wound on the back of her head,” she said.

Modiga said due to the injuries, a murder docket was opened.