High Court okayed San girls’ sentence

A SIX-MONTH sentence imposed on two San girls by a Magistrate at Grootfontein in December was reviewed and approved by the High Court, The Namibian has established.

Records of the proceedings provided by Magistrate Andre le Roux indicate that the sentence was reviewed and approved by High Court Judge Louis Muller. Le Roux this week also made available a list of items stolen by the two San girls, aged 15 and 17.The list includes a cellphone, artificial hair, a ring, necklace, pens, pencils, a ruler and rice, which they cooked and ate in the teacher’s house that they broke into.The Namibian, quoting a source at Tsumkwe, initially reported only that food was stolen, and that the girls were discovered while sitting eating it in the house.The Magistrate, who said he had followed the law throughout the proceedings, also said that he was not aware that the two girls had been detained in the Grootfontein Police holding cells instead of being sent to the Oluno Rehabilitation Centre for juvenile offenders.After The Namibian reported on the case last Thursday, Judge President Petrus Damaseb immediately ordered that the two girls be released pending an investigation into the case.The two girls from Tsumkwe, both first-time offenders, ended up among adults in the Grootfontein Police holding cells after they were sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.Le Roux said they were not given the option of a fine after input from the local social worker, and after all the facts had been checked.The girls started serving time on December 1.Le Roux this week also made available a list of items stolen by the two San girls, aged 15 and 17.The list includes a cellphone, artificial hair, a ring, necklace, pens, pencils, a ruler and rice, which they cooked and ate in the teacher’s house that they broke into.The Namibian, quoting a source at Tsumkwe, initially reported only that food was stolen, and that the girls were discovered while sitting eating it in the house. The Magistrate, who said he had followed the law throughout the proceedings, also said that he was not aware that the two girls had been detained in the Grootfontein Police holding cells instead of being sent to the Oluno Rehabilitation Centre for juvenile offenders.After The Namibian reported on the case last Thursday, Judge President Petrus Damaseb immediately ordered that the two girls be released pending an investigation into the case.The two girls from Tsumkwe, both first-time offenders, ended up among adults in the Grootfontein Police holding cells after they were sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.Le Roux said they were not given the option of a fine after input from the local social worker, and after all the facts had been checked.The girls started serving time on December 1.