Satanism centre stage at Anika trial

Charlotte Eksteen and Johan Smit, the mother and father of Anika Smit, at the Pretoria North Magistrate's Court. Pictures: Oupa Mokoena

Charlotte Eksteen and Johan Smit, the mother and father of Anika Smit, at the Pretoria North Magistrate's Court. Pictures: Oupa Mokoena

Published Sep 18, 2015

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Pretoria - Testimony on satanism and occult activities again took centre stage at the Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court on Thursday when “Vampire” took the witness stand in the inquest of murdered teen Anika Smit. The young man, known only as “Vampire”, a name he used on the messaging app Mxit, cannot be named as per court order.

He testified how he drank a shot of blood at a vampiric party while he was in high school.

His interest in satanism was triggered, he said, when his father scolded his older brother after he caught him watching a horror movie and said it was satanic.

“I was in primary school when this happened. After this, I went to the library and on the internet and read books on satanism for about two weeks but lost interest in it.

“I only became interested in it again in high school because of a group of boys I met who were also interested in satanism. One even claimed to be a satanist. If anyone tried to bully me they would protect me,” he told the court.

State prosecutor Tania Carstens questioned him about the activities he had taken part in during the time he spent with the group.

“I went to a party for vampires and we had to drink blood there,” he said. Despite this, he said he was never initiated into an occult.

The young man said he questioned himself about what he was doing. “I just had an interest but never became part of any group or occult,” he told the court.

Asked what was going on in his mind at the time, he said: “I didn’t know what I was doing. I was young and stupid.”

“Vampire” told the court he was bullied in high school but able to seek solace and protection from a group of boys he met at school who all shared an interest in satanism.

He attended Pretoria North High School, where he was targeted and bullied by other pupils because of his thin build. His reputation of being affiliated with satanism followed him, he said, when he transferred to Gerrit Maritz High School, the same school 17-year-old Smit attended before she was murdered. Her throat was slit, she was raped, and her hands chopped off. They have not been found as yet.

Smit was found murdered in her father’s Theresa Park home in 2010. The inquest into her death aims to solve the riddle of who was behind her death. Her parents continued to attend the hearing.

“Vampire” was one of numerous people taken in for questioning days after Smit’s death. Nico Venter, the 17-year-old’s then boyfriend, was arrested for the murder. Charges against him were withdrawn after police failed to link him to the murder.

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