Cape Town - The man accused of murdering and raping 8-year-old Tazne van Wyk from Ravensmead, Cape Town, was slapped with 20 charges in the Goodwood Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Apart from his murder charge, he also faces 11 counts of rape, three counts of common assault, two counts of kidnapping and cases of incest, sexual assault and violating/desecrating a corpse.
Tazne was last seen on February 7, 2020, when she left her Clare Street home to buy a sweet just metres from her house.
Residents across the Cape Flats went looking for the girl, who had mysteriously vanished, and child protection organisations took the lead and scoured fields, bushes and all surrounding areas night and day for two weeks.
The accused was arrested on February 17 in Cradock, Eastern Cape, and Tazne’s body was found on February 19 along the N1 highway outside Worcester in the direction of De Doorns.
The accused, a previous offender, was jailed for murdering his son in 2001.
President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the family and offered his condolences. He also apologised for the government's failure in releasing the accused on parole.
According to the State’s indictment, the suspect is believed to have lured Tazne away via Connaught Road in Parow, to Parow train station.
He is alleged to have taken her to Worcester before raping and murdering.
“He cut off her right hand and hid her body in a stormwater pipe next to the N1 highway.
“A post-mortem examination done on the body of the deceased concluded that the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, neck and chest (unnatural),” part of the indictment read.
The accused faces other charges pertaining to his own family members, whom he raped and assaulted continuously.
The case has been transferred to the Western Cape High Court and the accused is set to plead during his pre-trial.
The accused, who has been held in detention in Goodwood prison, will now be moved to Pollsmoor prison.
The matter has been postponed until January 29.
African News Agency (ANA)