Analysis of post-mortem report delays murder case
State must get their act together – community spokesperson
THE defence team of Mortimer Saunders, accused of killing three-year-old Courtney Pieters in Elsies River has requested a two-week delay in order to get a forensic pathology expert to analyse the State’s post-mortem report. The case was postponed to May 28.
The mother of Courtney, Juanita Pieters, who on Sunday, along with members of the community and family, had unveiled a tombstone, said she misses her daughter. Yesterday the court was packed with media and community members.
Last year, during Saunders’ first appearance in the Goodwood Magistrate’s Court, Pieters sat quietly in court, just staring ahead.
“I just want this court case to be over. Courtney’s murder alone traumatised the whole family. Now there is also a court case,” she said.
The toddler’s murder captured the hearts of many Capetonians as they streamed to Epping Industria, where her body was found dumped last year. People left many messages of condolences, as well as flowers and teddy bears.
Pieters said she had collected all the teddy bears and taken them home. “I was worried that (they) would get weathered by the rain. I went there one day, took them and washed them.”
In the living room of the house where she used to live in Elsies River with Courtney, she arranged all the bears on a table.
“The soft toys brought some comfort, especially at those times when I missed Courtney. I was still breast-feeding her, so every night she would fall asleep next to me. I miss my child every day and these teddy bears remind me of her. I will be taking care of these flower plants as they are my little babies,” she said.
Saunders rented a room in the house where Courtney lived. He was arrested about a week after her body was found.
Manenberg Safety Forum chairperson Roegshanda Pascoe expressed her frustration at the delay in the case. “We say that the State must get their act together. It’s been a year; you can’t say you couldn’t get a forensic pathologist to look a the report for a year.
“People are taking off days at work for this case, losing money which is used for travelling. We can’t afford to have postponements,” she said.
Pascoe also expressed her frustration with those who initially followed and supported the family at the funeral and bail application. “Where are the hundreds of thousands of people who came to the funeral and bail hearings? How is the court supposed to take us seriously when they do not avail themselves now?” saidPascoe.
“People do not know how much trauma Courtney’s family endured. It is a year later and Juanita, especially, is still traumatised by what happened to Courtney.
Communities have had enough of all the killings of women and children in our communities.”