Johannesburg - A girl who survived an apparent satanic ritual attack in 2011 was hysterical afterwards and hid herself under a bed, the High Court sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court heard on Wednesday.
This was the testimony of the 17-year-old brother of Kirsty Theologo who died in hospital after the attack.
He said his sister's friend ran past him into Theologo's bedroom, to hide under her bed.
She mumbled inaudibly and made a “wheezing sound”, he testified, adding: “She was irrational.”
Theologo's brother said the girl had bruises on her arm and was partially burnt.
Theologo and her friend were set alight in an apparent satanic ritual on top of a koppie, south of Johannesburg in 2011.
Three men and a teenaged girl accused of being behind the attack pleaded not guilty to all charges against them.
Harvey Isha, Robin Harwood, Lindon Wagner, and Courtney Daniels, who was a minor at the time, face charges of murder, attempted murder and assault to cause grievous bodily harm.
Theologo's brother testified that his sister returned from the koppie shortly after midnight on the night of the said ritual.
He heard a loud bang coming from the kitchen and investigated. The latch on the kitchen door had been broken.
He saw his sister coming through the door, carrying her friend on her back.
He said Theologo was standing at the sink trying to wash herself down, when the friend ran past him to the bedroom.
Earlier, Theologo's mother had told the court Theologo's friend was like a daughter to her.
She said the friend had come to collect Theologo so they could attend a youth service at church on the Friday before the attack.
When she saw her daughter on her return she said she asked her what had happened to her, she had said: “Mommy, they threw petrol on me... They set me alight.”
She added that Theologo was proud that the attackers did not take her pants off.
Another State witness told the court he had been with Theologo, her friend, the four accused and other people before the attack.
He said the group had agreed to attend a Friday night church youth meeting, when it was later decided that the group would go drinking at the koppie.
Jacques Smith said he left the group before arriving at the hill.
He said the four accused and two other men who were convicted of the same crime, were dressed in black on the day.
Smith said when he privately peered into a bag belonging to one of the accused, he found a long thin rope, candles and a bottle of clear alcohol he assumed was vodka.
He left the group because he was scared of lying to his parents about missing the youth service. He told the court he left around 10.30pm.
Earlier, Theologo's mother told the court she was aware that her daughter was smoking dagga and drinking alcohol.
“My daughter smoked marijuana but didn't like the hard core stuff... I don't know what they 1/8accused 3/8 had smoked.”
She said she was angry at the accused because she thought they would be a good influence on her child as the accused were “wholesome” people.
When asked if she would accept a letter of apology from one of the accused, Theologo's mother said she would not accept it.
“I wont accept an apology... I want nothing but justice,” she told the court.
The trial continues. - Sapa