By: Marshallino Beukes
The woman accused of killing her boyfriend’s mother at Rehoboth last year has denied committing the crime.
Judith van Wyk (33) is out on bail for the murder of Elizabeth Maria Cloete (81).
The police arrested her in August 2021 and she spent two weeks in custody before the court granted her N$2 000 bail.
On Monday, Van Wyk returned to the Rehoboth Magistrate’s Court, where the case was postponed to 5 April 2022, pending the Prosecutor-General’s decision.
The State is accusing Van Wyk of “unlawfully and intentionally assaulting” Cloete, who at the time was bedridden.
According to the State, Van Wyk “beat her all over her body and thereby inflicted injuries,” which allegedly killed her.
But Van Wyk told The Villager on Monday that she did not kill her boyfriend’s mother.
“You have to believe me. I’m innocent. I’m innocent. I did not kill Aunty Bet!” she said.
According to Van Wyk, her ex-boyfriend and his brother were the only three people at the house when Cloete died.
Van Wyk also said that she and her ex-boyfriend visited a friend’s home that night, and once there, they quarrelled.
She said her boyfriend assaulted her before they left for Cloete’s home. Once home, Van Wyk said the ex-boyfriend continued to assault her.
“I escaped into his mother’s room and after a while came out, but the assault continued,” she said, adding that she later went to sleep in the room she shared with her ex-boyfriend.
After a while, she said, her ex-boyfriend came into the room and accused her of assaulting his mother.
Van Wyk said the ex-boyfriend told her that there were bloodstains on the floor, and Cloete’s hair had been pulled out.
The ambulance was called, and Cloete was transported to the hospital, where she died the next day.
Later, Van Wyk said, she was told that the police were looking for her.
“I went from home but handed myself over later the same day. I did not give any statements and told the police I’m waiting on my lawyer,” she explained with tears staining her face.
The post mortem report states that the cause of death was skin cancer and pulmonary thromboembolism.
The chief post mortem findings, as per the report, indicate that (among others) the body was malnourished/wasting and dehydrated.
According to the report, multiple bleeding skin lesions were detected on the arms and shoulders, with bed sores on the right hip and between the buttocks.
Renowned advocate Winnie Christiaans is defending Van Wyk.
