The trial of Poppie van der Merwe’s gruesome end continues on Tuesday in the North Gauteng High Court.
In the dock is murder accused parents, Louisa Koekemoer and the toddler’s stepfather, Kobus Koekemoer. They are facing charges of assault, child abuse and assault with the intention to do grievous bodily harm and murder.
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The trial began on 30 October and they have pleaded not guilty.
Poppie died at a hospital in Brits in October last year.
Last week Dr Richard Gumbu, who was on duty at the hospital on the day, testified that the little girl had bruises all over her body and private parts.
The doctor told the court he had noticed an array of bruises and injuries. Initially Koekemoer told him that “he was whipping the child when she collapsed.”
“I had to call the police since the child had not died of natural causes, but the parents said they would prefer it if the police were not involved.”
He said the stepfather changed his story upon hearing that the police would be contacted. He then said that the girl had been watching television when she suddenly complained she was tired and collapsed.
Gumbu said Koekemoer told him there was an attempt to wake the girl up by pouring water on her before she was rushed to hospital.
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“The father told me the child sustained all the injuries and bruises in the bakkie as they were driving at high speed to the hospital.”
The defence said the stepfather had no knowledge of what happened to the child as he had been outside working in the garden when Louisa, the baby’s mother, called him after the little girl had collapsed.
Paramedic Morris de Beer testified that when he took the child from the stepfather on arrival at the emergency unit, she was only wearing underwear.
De Beer said she appeared dead and attempts to resuscitate her failed.
“I saw bruises on her body and a hematoma on her head. I asked the father what happened and he said she sustained the bruising in the car on the way to the hospital.”
Jaco Roux, a former neighbour of the family, testified that he once heard a thud against the wall followed by Poppie crying hysterically. The next morning the toddler could not walk properly and held her arm against her body with a huge bruise on her head.
Tanya Goosen, a teacher who used to look after another of the couple’s children, a boy, in Orania before they moved, testified that the boy had blue ears one day. He told her that his stepfather had dragged him across the floor.
A week later he had a black eye and a blue mark on his head, but would not say what had happened to him.
At a later stage, the boy told him his stepfather had used a wooden spoon to hit them. He also kicked him and Poppie in the stomach.
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