‘Smiley’ to be reassessed

HORROR KILLING: SCHOOL FRIEND ACCUSED OF RAPE, MURDER, MUTILATION OF 17-YEAR-OLD

Van Wyk intends proving innocence after confessions.

Andre “Smiley” van Wyk, the man accused of raping and murdering Pretoria North schoolgirl Anika Smit, and mutilating the body, is to be assessed by a clinical psychologist.

Magistrate Pierre Wessels yesterday postponed Van Wyk’s trial to June 23 in the Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court.

This was after prosecutor Tanya Carstens told the court the state had been advised to ask for a further assessment of Van Wyk by a clinical psychologist who heads the police’s forensic section.

The defence said Van Wyk’s family were also considering appointing a private psychologist to assess him.

Carstens said the assessment would focus on Van Wyk’s personality profile, which differed from the one he had at Weskoppies psychiatric hospital, into his mental state. Three psychiatrists found Van Wyk did not suffer from any mental illness or defect and was fit to stand trial.

The psychological assessment will include interviews with Van Wyk’s family and focus on his background to assist the state to make a decision about his prosecution.

The 17-year-old schoolgirl’s father, Johan Smit, discovered her naked body in their Theresa Park house when he returned home from work on March 10, 2010.

She had been sexually assaulted, had several stab wounds and her hands had been chopped off and removed from the scene.

The Grade 11 pupil at the Hoërskool Gerrit Maritz was at home with an ear infection that day.

Smit in September last year walked into the Pretoria North police station and confessed to murdering and raping Smit, a school friend.

He repeated his confession to a magistrate but then told the investigating officer he was innocent and said an unknown couple had threatened him and his family so he would confess to the murder.

Van Wyk said in a statement he intended proving his innocence.

He claimed he had been drinking the whole night before his confession. The DNA found on Smit did not match his DNA, there were no eye-witnesses and no other evidence to link him to the murder, he said.

Van Wyk will remain in custody. –