Cape Town – Marli van Breda, the teen who survived the axe murder massacre which took the lives of her parents and older brother, is expected to be a key witness in the trial of her brother, Henri, who stands accused of the gruesome killings.
Henri van Breda, 21, will stand trial next month for the murders of his father Martin, mother Teresa and brother Rudi.
He also faces a charge of attempted murder, in connection with the attack on Marli, 17, as well as defeating the ends of justice, for allegedly giving police false information during the investigation.
The family was attacked in their luxury De Zalze Estate in Stellenbosch in 2015.
More than a year after the killings, Henri who had previously claimed to be one of the victims, handed himself over to the police. He is out on R100 000 bail.
Marli’s neck was slashed during the attack, according to reports, and she sustained serious brain injuries. She is said to have recovered and is back at school.
The evidence against Henri includes blood splatters found on him which matched those of his murdered family members, wounds to his body which were allegedly self-inflicted and phone calls he allegedly made to his then-girlfriend and to emergency services.
Marli’s testimony and those of other witnesses are said to be key in the case against him.
In the last pre-trial hearing in November, the State indicated it was ready for trial but the defence needed to finalise its expert analysis of the evidence against Henri.
After Friday's brief appearance, Henri who was flanked by his legal representatives hurried out of court.
His trial begins on March 27.