Springs ‘house of horrors’ mom referred to Weskoppies

The so-called Springs "house of horrors" mother allegedly neglected her children and allowed her husband to severely abuse the eldest two children " a boy, 11 and girl 16. Picture: Zelda Venter

The so-called Springs "house of horrors" mother allegedly neglected her children and allowed her husband to severely abuse the eldest two children " a boy, 11 and girl 16. Picture: Zelda Venter

Published Nov 7, 2016

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Pretoria - A panel of psychiatrists at Weskoppies Hospital in Pretoria will have to determine whether the so-called Springs “house of horrors” mother can be held accountable for her actions when she allegedly neglected her children and allowed her husband to severely abuse the two eldest – a boy, 11 and girl 16.

The 38-year-old woman was on Monday referred to 30 days observation, after it was said that she suffered from dyslexia and had a low intellect.

Gauteng High Court, Pretoria Judge Eben Jordaan referred the woman to the institution following a report by a forensic criminologist, who said the woman suffered from dyslexia and had a low IQ.

Dr Pixie du Toit obtained this information from a principle at the special school which the mother attended until she was 17.

According to the principle, people suffering from dyslexia normally have a “borderline deficiency” intelligence, which could mean that they cannot be held accountable for certain of their actions.

The mother’s defence is that she was also a victim of her husband’s abuse and that her hands were tied to safeguard her children from him.

Du Toit stated in her report that the mother herself was never loved as a child and that she was incapable of looking after her five children, nor was she able to defend them from her “abusive” husband.

Shocking details were revealed in the report, including that the mother had to dress up like a prostitute for her husband and she had to watch pornographic films with him and then enact the scenes. If she refused, he cuffed her to the bed and forced himself on her, she said.

She told Du Toit that she and her children were terrified of her husband.

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Pretoria News

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