A Windhoek-based psychiatrist found that a Kunene man, accused of murder and raping multiple women in 2012, is fit to stand trial despite having been diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2016. 
Dr Reinhardt Sieberhagen, a psychiatrist at a private practice, testified yesterday in the Windhoek High Court that Johannes Likuwa Hausiku (46) is capable of understanding court proceedings and make a proper defence. 
Furthermore, at the time of commission of the crime, Hausiku was mentally stable which makes him capable of appreciating the wrongfulness of his actions. 

Sieberhagen is a third psychiatrist to evaluate Hausiku after the State disputed the findings of the first State psychiatrist who diagnosed Hausiku with schizophrenia comorbid with substance use disorders in November 2016. 
Thus, Hausiku was deemed unfit to stand trial. 

However, Sieberhagen found that Hausiku does not exhibit any symptoms of a schizophrenic patient.
Hausiku only has headaches, hallucinations and insomnia, which are not symptoms of schizophrenic. 
By studying Hausiku’s clinical history and observing him for a period of time, Dr Sieberhagen found that Hausiku is merely suffering from hallucinosis – a mental and behaviour disorder which is caused by an excessive use of multiple drugs. 
“I found that the patient has what we call executor-functioning ability.
This indicates that he is able to plan and carry out his plan.

There is also no defect to his memory function so there is no reason for him to not recall what happened,” explained Sieberhagen. 
Sieberhagen further informed the court that he found it troubling that Hausiku is receiving psychotic medication, which he does not need. 
Hausiku is standing trial on 15 charges emanating from three incidents, which took place at Outjo during the first half of 2012. He has denied guilt on all of the charges. 

He is alleged to have kidnapped and raped a woman at Outjo in the Kunene region on the night of 30 May 2012.
 He then allegedly murdered the woman’s two-year-old son and hindered police investigations by telling her to report to the police that she had been attacked and her son was killed by four unknown men.

Hausiku is also alleged to have kidnapped, raped and robbed two other women in January 2012. 
During his first mental observation, Hausiku told the psychiatrists that he was angry because his girlfriend/wife (the mother of the murdered child) was having an affair with another man. According to what he said, they both came from Kavango to Outjo as a couple, having two children, one being the deceased and he was aiming to stab Martha and ended up stabbing the boy because she held him as a shield and he took him to the hospital thereafter and has no recollection of a body been cut and thrown away. 
He denied the rape charges and the rest of the allegations.

He remains in police custody at the Windhoek Central Correctional Facility, where he has been held since his arrest.
 Judge Nate Ndauendapo set down the matter for continuation today. mamakali@nepc.com.na