Past still a blank for Cape axe-attack victim
After nearly a year, probe into brutal murders yields no arrests
AXE-ATTACK survivors Marli van Breda and her brother, Henri, are seeing each other “on a regular basis” amid doubts over whether the person who killed their parents and brother will ever be brought to book.
“Marli and Henri see each other regularly. She is looking forward to spending her holiday with family and friends,” said Marli’s legal representative, Louise Buikman.
“Marli has not recovered her memory nor is it likely that she will do so. She is still progressing remarkably at school. Her tutors and teachers are very proud of her achievements.”
Marli, 17, is in Grade 11 at Somerset College near Stellenbosch.
Van Breda family spokesman Ben Rootman confirmed that the siblings had been in regular contact.
“The family is happy with Buikman’s assessment that Marli and Henri see each other regularly. They feel that it is beneficial to the recovery process for Marli,” he said.
He said the family would not comment further.
In June, the siblings got together for the first time since the attack in January this year. But their visits have now become regular.
Henri and Marli survived a brutal axe attack in which their parents, Martin and Teresa, and elder brother, Rudi, 22, were killed in the exclusive De Zalze Estate.
Marli was gravely injured and left for dead. She suffered blows to the head and face and her attacker tried to sever her jugular vein.
Henri was in the house during the murders and claimed that an axe-wielding intruder had attacked him and his family.
Sources at the time said a doctor had found the cuts and bruises on Henri’s arms were FREQUENT CONTACT: Marli van Breda, left, and her brother Henri, who both survived the attack in January CRIME SCENE: The kitchen of the house in De Zalze Golf Estate where the Van Bredas were murdered self-inflicted and that he only called emergency services almost four hours after the attack.
Days later, a recording of that call was leaked to the media. On it, a calm Henri can be heard telling operators he and his family had been “attacked by a guy with an axe”.
He then said he was in the toilet when the attack started and that he was the last one attacked.
He said the intruder “threw the axe” at him, and that he passed out while being assaulted. He said he called for help when he regained consciousness. At one point during the call he can be heard giggling nervously.
There were no signs of forced entry into the house, which has been on the market since May with a price tag of R6.2-million.
The High Court in Cape Town ruled earlier this year that Marli would live with her aunt and uncle until she turns 18 next year.
Marli and Henri are the main beneficiaries of an estate valued at about R200-million, according to a source close to the family.
Martin was a successful businessman, who set up businesses in South Africa and later in Australia before returning to South Africa six months before the murder. He was the master licence partner at Engel & Völkers in Australia.
Eric Ntabazalila, Western Cape spokesman for the National Prosecuting Authority, said the docket was with the police. He would not say if Henri was a suspect.
Police spokesman LieutenantColonel André Traut said there were “no new developments” in the case and that it was still under investigation.
Criminal law expert William Booth said the longer an investigation took, the less likely an arrest was.
“The longer it takes, the more of a problem it becomes to arrest someone. I think the police and the NPA owe the public some sort of an explanation as to why it’s taking so long. It might very well be that there is no evidence and the NPA should say that. At some point there is going to be an inquest and they’ll lay out what they’ve got for a magistrate to make a finding. Everybody is speculating that he [Henri] must be involved, but speculation builds speculation and the NPA should show the public what they have.” Comment on this: write to tellus@sundaytimes.co.za or SMS us at 33971 www.sundaytimes.co.za