Charnell McCrawl case is postponed

THE trial of Carlo de Kock, charged with the rape and murder of 10-yearold Charnell McCrawl, was delayed in the Western Cape High Court for him to complete a plea statement.

De Kock, the child’s uncle, made a brief first trial appearance in front of Judge Gayaat Salie-Hlophe yesterday.

The child was reported missing on October 19, 2017, after she did not arrive at school.

Her body was found on the Vygieskraal riverbank in Manenberg the next day.

De Kock faces charges of kidnapping, murder, rape and obstructing the course of justice.

The indictment states that De Kock is accused of “assaulting her and/or strangling her and applying blunt force to her head and neck with an unknown object, causing multiple injuries and her skull to fracture”.

In the State’s summary document, the morning of McCrawl’s disappearance she left her Audrey Court home at 7.40am.

“She walked in the direction of the side gate of the accused’s dwelling. The deceased was never seen alive thereafter.” De Kock is also alleged to have removed McCrawl’s blood from his dwelling before putting her body in a wheelie bin for disposal.

A post-mortem examination performed on the Primrose Park Primary School pupil concluded that the cause of death was multiple blunt force injuries to her head, neck, and genitalia.

During a hearing for bail, which was denied, in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court, it emerged that De Kock had a previous sexual assault case involving another young girl but the case was withdrawn.

The State said this would be revisited. The hearing was postponed to March 11.