Cape Town – The family of murdered Stellenbosch University student Hannah Cornelius is raising money to buy a hearing aid for her friend, Cheslin Marsh.
Netwerk24 reported on Tuesday that R8 400 had already been raised of the targeted R15 000 through a fundraising campaign.
Eben van Niekerk, Geraldo Parsons, Vernon Witbooi and Nashville Julius allegedly kidnapped Cornelius, 21, and Marsh in her VW Citi Golf in Stellenbosch in the early hours of May 27, 2017. The quartet is standing trial on charges of murder, aggravated robbery, kidnapping and rape.
Cornelius was threatened with a screwdriver, while Marsh was forced into the backseat of his friend's car at knifepoint.
Marsh was assaulted and left for dead, while Cornelius was later raped and stabbed to death. The four accused are now standing trial on charges of murder, aggravated robbery, kidnapping and rape.
On October 11, Marsh testified in the Western Cape High Court that the last thing he remembered about the night Cornelius was raped and murdered was his attackers forcing him to lay his head on a brick in a "bushy" area, before losing consciousness.
"I just closed my eyes and started praying," the 22-year-old said. He would only regain consciousness the next afternoon.
The attack left Marsh deaf in his left ear.
Hannah's mother, Anna, 56, reportedly drowned on March 23 this year while taking a swim at Scarborough beach.