Judgment looms for child killer

Convicted child murderer Jerome Amerika, pictured, will learn his fate on Tuesday .

Last week, the 23-year-old was found guilty of raping and murdering 10-year-old Shamonique Claasen in February.

He was also found guilty of raping a former girlfriend twice in April last year.

The woman, who cannot be named because she is a rape survivor, was recalled to testify yesterday.

The woman spoke about the abusive relationship she had endured.

She told the court she had obtained an interdict against Amerika after he beat her in 2013.

But she said he came back and she forgave him. She told the court they broke up about five times, but she always forgave him.

A day after breaking up with him in April last year, he kidnapped and raped her twice. Again, she got an interdict against him. But she told the court they got back together last November, and moved in together in January.

The following month, he raped and killed Shamonique, a day before the child’s 11th birthday. Her family discovered her body several days later, hidden under Amerika’s bed.

Judge Robert Henney wanted the witness to clarify why she had not laid a rape charge against him.

He said he needed to decide on whether to impose the maximum sentence or whether to regard her forgiveness of him as a mitigating factor.

He will hand down sentence on December 13. – ANA