Cape Town – The family and legal representative of Chloe Collins, who has been detained in Oman since May, said they are still desperately seeking financial assistance to hire a lawyer in that country.
Collins, 23, has been in police custody in the Middle Eastern country for the past three months.
Her legal representative, Simone Carolissen, said they were informed by the Omani government that Collins’s brother was a person of interest in the death of a taxi driver, and that Collins was being held for allegedly allowing her brother to return to South Africa.
Carolissen yesterday said while the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco) has been assisting, there were no developments.
The family have been quoted a minimum of R200 000 (a 50% discount on normal rates) for a lawyer in Oman, Carolissen said.
But so far, they have managed to raise only just over R8 000.
“At the moment there is still nothing new to report. We are still trying to get a foreign attorney there.
“We have no direct communication with her but we think she is fine, as far as the embassy has informed us.
“Dirco is not allowed to get involved in the legalities but they are doing everything they can to support the family,” said Carolissen.
Dirco spokesperson Clayson Monyela said: “We met with the family last week, the family know the work that’s been done and we are working with them.
‘‘There is nothing new to report,” Monyela pointed out.
Collins and her brother, of Kraaifontein, arrived in Oman in April to work in the hospitality industry.
Her brother, who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, is receiving treatment in a hospital in South Africa.
“The family are coping as best they can under the circumstances.
“They desperately need money to pay an attorney on that side, so that she can have a legal representative.
“Unfortunately, the cost of legal services in Oman is well beyond the family’s means. That’s what is holding us up,” Carolissen said.
Requests to the Omani embassy in South Africa had not been answered at the time of publication.
Carolissen has offered her services to the family pro bono.
The Collins family have started a Backabuddy page to raise funds in aid of their daughter.
The page is at www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/freechloe
Alternatively, Carolissen or the family can be contacted on [email protected]