Cape Times

Child killer to undergo psychiatri­c tests

- Chevon Booysen

GUILTY of murdering 17-month-old Asheeqah Scott, Pieter van Tonder was yesterday ordered to undergo a psychiatri­c evaluation before he is sentenced for the crime.

Van Tonder, guilty by his own admission, was taken from the Western Cape High Court to undergo the evaluation at Valkenberg Hospital. The move came with “specific instructio­ns” from the court, Judge Mushtak Parker said.

The evaluation at the psychiatri­c institutio­n would be done over 30 days to ascertain “what could have triggered this dastardly act” .

The evaluation was requested by the court because probation officer Ingrid Louw’s report, submitted on Wednesday afternoon, “raised more questions than it gave answers”, Judge Parker said.

“The probation officer’s report gives a lot more background that this court has not yet heard. There are so many unanswered questions.

“In the report Van Tonder is described as a peaceful man with morals and who was never violent. This does not correlate with what he did on the day of the murder. Even you could not tell us why you did what you did on that day,” Judge Parker told Van Tonder.

Asheeqah’s mother, Shakiera, was emotional during proceeding­s as she listened to Louw’s report describing her former partner as a “respectful, well-mannered” man.

The matter was postponed to January 19.

Van Tonder pleaded guilty to the murder of Asheeqah in what the State has described as the worst case of child neglect.

Asheeqah, who was left in the care of Van Tonder on the day of her death on September 4 last year, had devastatin­g rib fractures, neck contusions similar to those seen when a person is hanged, and burn wounds all over her body.

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