Paedophile gets 10 more years

INDEFINITE: REPORTS SHOW HE’S STILL ‘DANGEROUS’ Meintjies still denies having done anything wrong, experts say.

“dangerous paedophile” was on Friday sentenced to another indefinite stint in jail because he was still regarded as a danger to society, especially to children.

In 2003, Michiel Meintjies, 46, was sentenced to an indefinite period of imprisonment on 13 charges of sodomising three young boys, taking nude pictures of children and showing pornographic material to several young children.

At that time, it was ordered that he be brought to court after 10 years for a further psychiatric report and reconsideration of his sentence.

Earlier this year, two state psychiatrists diagnosed Meintjies as an unrehabilitated paedophile who suffered from substance dependence and an anti-social personality disorder.

According to expert reports, Meintjies still had intense sexual urges and fantasies and still denied that he had done anything wrong. In fact, he said he wanted to get involved in rehabilitating children who had fallen victim to sexual abuse.

Judge Bert Bam said in the North Gauteng High Court it was clear that Meintjies still posed a danger to the physical and psychological wellbeing of others, especially children, and sentenced him to another indefinite period of imprisonment.

He said the interests of society, especially the protection of children, were of overriding importance.

Meintjies clearly lacked insight into his condition and it was unlikely that he would be able to control his impulses, he said.

He ordered that Meintjies be brought back to court for the reconsideration of his sentence after five years.

Counsel for Meintjies submitted that his client was a “reborn Christian” who regularly attended church services and had also recently completed Grade 12.

He conceded that Meintjies still posed a danger to society, but argued that Meintjies only received treatment for his deviant sexual behaviour once a month, which was not insufficient to rehabilitate him.

Meintjies suffered from epilepsy and was almost deaf after he sustained a head injury during the border war as a member of the SA National Defence Force.

He also needed glasses and had to wear an ankle brace because of an injury sustained during his incarceration, his lawyer said.