Iuze Mukube

As the State continued their prosecution in the trial of a man accused of allegedly raping and assaulting his then-girlfriend, Hannelie Swartbooi (16), in 2021, an investigative officer testified in the matter yesterday.

Immanuel Jeremiah Plaatjies, an officer of the Gibeon police station in Mariental, testified that the accused, Isak Blockstaan (30), attempted to commit suicide on two occasions between 2 and 3 May 2021.

This was during the time that the deceased, who was allegedly in a romantic relationship with the accused, was reported to have been assaulted and later lost her life.

During the night of 2 May 2021, the accused and the deceased are alleged to have attended a birthday party of a close friend, with the parents of the deceased in attendance.

A fight broke out between the accused and the deceased after Blockstaan allegedly got angry when Swartbooi refused to sit next to him.

It is alleged that the accused assaulted the deceased’s mother after she attempted to help her daughter, resulting in a fight between Blockstaan and the deceased’s father.

Blockstaan then left the place with the deceased.

While the State alleges the accused assaulted and raped the deceased, Blockstaan stated that he was attacked from behind by unknown assailants and that he was unconscious during the whole incident. He stated that he only woke up later and found the deceased unconscious, naked and with visible bruises on her body.

He stated that he then set some of his and the deceased’s clothes on fire to get help and to also kill himself by stepping on the open flame.

After the incident was reported to Plaatjies the next morning, the officer observed the body of the deceased lying on the bed of the accused, with visible injuries on the head, face and hands.

He added that he also observed a wire hanging on the roof, which the father of the deceased told him was the wire the accused had allegedly used to try and kill himself.

Within a short span from the evening of 2 May to 3 May, the accused had reportedly tried to kill himself, once apparently after the assault on the deceased and another later at his house.

Additionally, the officer stated that on 3 May 2021, when the incident was reported, they witnessed the accused jumping over a border fence and running away after they arrived at his house.

They pursued and shortly after, arrested him. Plaatjies stated he observed bruises on the accused’s forehead, left cheek, lips, jaw and around the neck. He stated the accused smelt heavily of alcohol; his speech was slurred, and he had bloodshot eyes. After going back to the accused’s house, he found the body of Swartbooi on the bed.

Additionally, the officer told the court that a medical examination on the deceased revealed that two stones were found inserted in her vagina.

He stated that a lone shoe print was found on the crime scene, which was later matched to a pair of boots belonging to the accused, and that no other footprints were observed.

He added that there were marks of something having been dragged, possibly the deceased, from one place to another, with only one footprint, which belonged to the accused. He stated that from observation, only the accused and the deceased were present on the scene that day and no one else. The matter continues in court. –mukubeiuze@gmail.com