Three accused of Hogsback killing appear in court
Men arrested in sting operation after couple’s bodies found in their home
Three men accused of robbing and killing two Hogsback academics appeared briefly in the Cathcart magistrate’s court sitting in Stutterheim on Friday.
The men, aged between 23 and 33, were arrested in a sting operation led by provincial detectives from the serious and violent crimes unit.
They are accused of killing Prof Judith Masters and Dr Fabien Génin in their Hogsback home.
The bodies of the couple were found in their home by their domestic helper on October 3. Their hands and feet were bound with cables.
The provincial detectives who attended the court proceedings requested that photographs and the names of the suspects not be published for now, as they are still to undergo an identity parade for the case.
The state, through prosecutor Jadine Grootboom, indicated the men were facing a schedule six offence, meaning they had allegedly committed a serious crime.
Magistrate Xolile Dlulisa reminded the men they had two options: choosing whether they needed to hire legal representation of their choice, or legal aid.
“Unfortunately, for these types of allegations you need legal representation. You cannot choose to defend yourself [without a lawyer]. This case is very serious,” Dlulisa said.
All three indicated they wanted legal aid representation.
“Your case belongs to the Cathcart magistrate’s court. It is sitting here because there is no magistrate in Cathcart on Fridays. You are also reminded that even your bail applications will also take place in Cathcart,” Dlulisa said.
At the court, two of the men were seen smiling and chatting when Dlulisa was wrapping up their case after reading out their rights. They all appeared calm during the proceedings. The arrest of the three men was welcomed by the Hogsback community policing forum, which said it wanted justice for the couple.
Masters was a retired University of Fort Hare zoology professor, while Génin worked as a senior lecturer at Fort Hare and as a research officer at Nelson Mandela University.
Masters grew up in East London and attended Cambridge High School.
She studied biological sciences at the University of Natal in Durban before moving to Wits University to pursue her postgraduate studies.
Born in France, Génin was educated at the universities of Poitiers and Paris as an ethologist and physiologist.