Jeremia van Wyk, a Windhoek resident who confessed to abducting, kidnapping and raping a five-year-old minor, has been allocated a new legal aid lawyer after his previous lawyer died.

During court proceedings on Thursday in the High Court, Van Wyk’s new lawyer Joseph Andreas took over the matter, which was previously dealt with by the late Titus Mbaeva.

Andreas informed judge Christie Liebenberg that he is yet to consult with Van Wyk and go through disclosure – which he only got Thursday. Thus, it would be prudent to postpone the case.  

The court granted the request and ordered the matter to be postponed to 24 March, remanding Van Wyk in custody.

 The accused has been in police custody since his arrest in August 2019, after he was found in the company of a minor girl who was reported missing from school. 

During his first appearance at Katutura Magistrate’s Court, Van Wyk confessed that he picked up the little girl on the date in question, around 13h00 from her school in the area of Khomasdal, Windhoek. 

The accused further explained that they walked from the victim’s school to Katutura where he sexually violated the minor. Van Wyk gave graphic and descriptive details of what he had done to the minor. 

Following the sexual violation, he went to drink with his friends while in the company of the victim. It is his testimony that he was highly intoxicated from the drugs and alcohol he had consumed that day.

 He further testified that he only realised what he had done after the effects of the drugs and alcohol started to wear off. The police arrested Van Wyk on 1 August 2019, after he was found in the company of a five-year-old girl who was reported to have gone missing from school earlier in the day.

The girl’s picture went viral that day on social media with a short description that she was missing. Police reports at the time indicated that a member of the public recognised the minor and reported to the police.

For the alleged crimes, the prosecution is charging Van Wyk with a count of rape, abduction with an alternative count of kidnapping.

Van Wyk was previously convicted and served a sentence on charges of murder and rape. 

- mamakali@nepc.com.na