Street child murder case sent to the High Court

A FORMERLY homeless young resident of Windhoek heard yesterday that the case in which he is accused of murdering and raping a 14-year-old boy is set to be tried in the High Court.

Two years and 10 months, and 14 court appearances and postponements of the case in that time, had passed since the date of his arrest before murder and rape suspect Deon Engelbrecht (22) yesterday heard in which court he is set to go on trial and what charges he will face. In terms of the Prosecutor General’s decision on his case, Engelbrecht will face two main charges of murder and rape.Under the rape charge, he will also face alternative counts of committing a sexual act with a child under the age of 16, alternatively committing an indecent or immoral act with a child under 16, alternatively soliciting or enticing a child under 16 to commit a sexual or indecent or immoral act.Engelbrecht was arrested on December 23 2003, after 14-year-old Cristo Moshoeshoe was found dead – and suspected to have been raped and murdered – in a riverbed near Windhoek’s Southern Industrial Area.Engelbrecht was homeless at the time.Moshoeshoe, who was in school at Kalkrand, was visiting his family home in Windhoek for the December holidays when he died.According to the Police, it is suspected that Moshoeshoe was killed when a concrete pavement brick was thrown onto his head, fracturing his skull.At his first court appearance on December 29 2003, Engelbrecht told the presiding Magistrate that he had been smoking a Mandrax tablet before the incident.He related that after he had used the drug, he asked Moshoeshoe if he could have sexual intercourse with him.He then had intercourse with the boy, before a fight broke out between them and the killing happened, Engelbrecht told the court.Engelbrecht is scheduled to make a first pre-trial appearance in the High Court on November 23.He remains in Police custody.In terms of the Prosecutor General’s decision on his case, Engelbrecht will face two main charges of murder and rape.Under the rape charge, he will also face alternative counts of committing a sexual act with a child under the age of 16, alternatively committing an indecent or immoral act with a child under 16, alternatively soliciting or enticing a child under 16 to commit a sexual or indecent or immoral act.Engelbrecht was arrested on December 23 2003, after 14-year-old Cristo Moshoeshoe was found dead – and suspected to have been raped and murdered – in a riverbed near Windhoek’s Southern Industrial Area.Engelbrecht was homeless at the time.Moshoeshoe, who was in school at Kalkrand, was visiting his family home in Windhoek for the December holidays when he died.According to the Police, it is suspected that Moshoeshoe was killed when a concrete pavement brick was thrown onto his head, fracturing his skull.At his first court appearance on December 29 2003, Engelbrecht told the presiding Magistrate that he had been smoking a Mandrax tablet before the incident.He related that after he had used the drug, he asked Moshoeshoe if he could have sexual intercourse with him.He then had intercourse with the boy, before a fight broke out between them and the killing happened, Engelbrecht told the court.Engelbrecht is scheduled to make a first pre-trial appearance in the High Court on November 23.He remains in Police custody.