Jaco Swart, the man who was found guilty for brutally abusing his wife Nicoleen, might end up in jail after all, says Barry Bateman, spokesperson for AfriForum’s private prosecuting unit.

The Pretoria North Regional Court last week handed Swart a fine of R20 000 and a three-year prison sentence, suspended for five years, after the assault of his estranged wife in 2018.

Social media and other platforms are abuzz with South Africans criticizing the sentence, which according to them is inappropriate. A video allegedly showing Swart abusing his wife in the presence of their children in some cases, was widely distributed online.

“The video, however, was not allowed as evidence in the court on grounds of authenticity,” says Bateman.

Further charges against Swart by other parties could lead to his suspended sentence being overturned to jail time.

Bateman says that Swart could be sent to jail for years if he was found guilty on another charge of assault.

“A suspended sentence means that if found guilty of a similar offence, he could receive an even harsher sentence.”

Four charges of assault have been made at the Brackenfell and Belville police stations.

“Although AfriForum has acted in an advisory capacity in Nicoleen’s case, we are not involved in these four cases. We can only get involved when instructed to do so,” says Bateman.

WATCH: Izak du Plessis talks to Barry Bateman, spokesperson for AfriForum’s private prosecution unit, about the case against Jaco Swart – the man convicted of abusing his wife. Now, several others have also come forward with charges against him.  

Nicoleen says although she is not satisfied with the sentence her estranged husband received, she is happy that he did not go scot free.

She spoke to Caxton about her ordeal while being married to Swart for 10 years.

According to her the emotional toll on her and their two sons is immeasurable.

“We have to start all over again and take it step by step every day.”

“He is a charming, well-kept man with a very good sense of humor. In the beginning there was no sign of him being abusive,” says Nicoleen.

They met at school and she explains that the abuse came only later, and did not occur all the time.

“Sometimes a year would go by and then one day I will realise his eyes are turning grey. After years of abuse I came to know that is the moment to fear.”

She says there were times that she thought she would not survive the abuse. One of the last times Swart assaulted her, Nicoleen thought that he was going to kill her.

On the question about why she decided not to leave Swart earlier, Nicoleen says that he was an extremely manipulative person and that he promised her the moon and stars.

She says, although she and her sons are receiving counselling, they are strong willed people who will overcome their perils of the past 10years.

WATCH: Nicoleen Swart talks to Izak du Plessis about the abuse that she endured by the hand of her estranged husband, Jaco.