The body of a woman found killed in the Dordabis area near the end of 2021 was carefully mutilated with a sharp object, according to testimony heard in the Windhoek High Court this week.
During a post-mortem examination carried out on the body of Lydia Kharises (23) on 14 December 2021, it was found that Kharises’ pubic skin had been cut off and her uterus had been removed, medical doctor L Ashipala, who did the autopsy, testified before judge Eileen Rakow on Wednesday.
Ashipala said the dissection of the pubic skin had been neatly done with a sharp object.
She also recorded a cut to Kharises’ lower abdomen, through which her uterus had been removed.
The skinning of Kharises’ private parts and removal of her uterus were both done after she had died, Ashipala said.
She gave the testimony during the trial of a Dordabis area resident, Herold Uirab (37), who is accused of murdering Kharises at farm Stinkwater in the Dordabis area south-east of Windhoek during the night of 11 to 12 December 2021.
Uirab pleaded guilty to charges of murder and defeating or obstructing the course of justice when his trial began before Rakow last October.
His pleas on those charges were not accepted by state advocate Maggy Shiyagaya-Lotto, though.
Uirab is also facing charges of rape and violating a dead human body, on which he denied guilt.
The alleged rape and murder of Kharises and mutilation of her body took place after Uirab and Kharises had attended a wedding reception at Stinkwater during the evening of 11 December 2021, the state is alleging.
In her testimony, Ashipala told the court that in addition to the mutilation of Kharises’ body, she recorded fractures to Kharises’ skull and to two vertebrae in her neck.
The neck fractures could have killed Kharises immediately, she said.
“Severe force” was used to cause fractures to the base of Kharises’ skull, Ashipala said as well.
She concluded that Kharises died due to blunt force trauma to her head.
On the mutilation of her body, Ashipala said that was not caused by an animal, which she would have expected to leave wounds with rough edges, which was not what she found.
Also on Wednesday, another state witness, Willem Khuwiseb, recounted that he was detained at Dordabis Police Station when Uirab joined him in custody in December 2021.
Khuwiseb said a close friendship developed between him and Uirab, and during the time they were in custody together Uirab told him he had been arrested for killing a woman name Lydia.
He said Uirab told him he had been at wedding festivities, where he was drinking and dancing with Lydia.
Uirab told him he and Lydia moved to a nearby river, where they had intercourse, before she indicated she didn’t like the place where they were, as there were other people roaming around as well, Khuwiseb said.
He said Uirab also told him he then grabbed Lydia by her neck and she fainted, before he picked up a stone with both his hands and threw it onto her head.
Khuwiseb also said after he had heard Uirab having a dream and talking in his sleep one night, Uirab told him he was not the only person involved in his case.
Uirab added that he would not mention the other people involved, though, because they would worsen his problems if he did so, and according to him it would be better if he pleaded guilty and went to prison alone, Khuwiseb said.
Uirab is denying that he told that to Khuwiseb, defence lawyer Joas Neemwatya, who is representing Uirab, told Khuwiseb during cross-examination.
That instruction from Uirab was a lie, Khuwiseb responded.
The trial is continuing.
Uirab is being held in custody.
