Suspect to admit child murder and sex charge

A FORMERLY homeless child who faces charges of raping and murdering a 14-year-old boy in Windhoek more than three years ago intends to plead guilty to murder and committing a sexual act with a child under the age of 16.

Murder and rape suspect Deon Engelbrecht’s defence lawyer, Ivo dos Santos, has notified the prosecution and the High Court that his client intends to plead guilty to the first charge that he is set to face – this is a count of murder – and to the first alternative to the second charge against him, which is a count of rape, Deputy Prosecutor General Antonia Verhoef told Judge Collins Parker when Engelbrecht made a first pre-trial appearance in the High Court on Thursday. The alternative to the rape charge that Engelbrecht (22) is prepared to plead guilty to is a charge in which it is alleged that he contravened the Combating of Immoral Practices Act of 1980 by committing or attempting to commit a sexual act with a child under the age of 16 years.Engelbrecht has been in Police custody since December 23 2003.His case dragged on through 15 appearances in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court before it was finally referred to the High Court for trial at the end of October last year.The State and defence have agreed that the trial can start in the High Court on July 2, Verhoef told Judge Parker.Dos Santos added that he will still file a properly signed plea explanation, setting out the factual background to Engelbrecht’s pleas, well before the scheduled starting date of the trial.It is alleged that Engelbrecht, the late Christo Moshoeshoe, who was 14 years old, and one of the 15 State witnesses listed in the indictment, Richard Renton, were in the vicinity of Gammams training and sports field in Windhoek’s Southern Industrial Area on the afternoon of December 23 2003.Moshoeshoe was a scholar at a boarding school in the south of Namibia.He was visiting his parents for the December holidays when he was killed.According to the indictment, the three boys allegedly consumed some drugs and liquor that afternoon.At some stage Engelbrecht and Renton moved away from the scene, going to a nearby park, leaving Moshoeshoe behind, it is alleged.Engelbrecht again returned to where Moshoeshoe was and carried the boy – apparently in a stupor – to a spot behind some train tracks where he raped him, it is charged.He also allegedly hit Moshoeshoe several times on his head with stones and cement bricks, or either of these.Moshoeshoe died on the scene as a result of fractures to his skull.The alternative to the rape charge that Engelbrecht (22) is prepared to plead guilty to is a charge in which it is alleged that he contravened the Combating of Immoral Practices Act of 1980 by committing or attempting to commit a sexual act with a child under the age of 16 years.Engelbrecht has been in Police custody since December 23 2003.His case dragged on through 15 appearances in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court before it was finally referred to the High Court for trial at the end of October last year.The State and defence have agreed that the trial can start in the High Court on July 2, Verhoef told Judge Parker.Dos Santos added that he will still file a properly signed plea explanation, setting out the factual background to Engelbrecht’s pleas, well before the scheduled starting date of the trial.It is alleged that Engelbrecht, the late Christo Moshoeshoe, who was 14 years old, and one of the 15 State witnesses listed in the indictment, Richard Renton, were in the vicinity of Gammams training and sports field in Windhoek’s Southern Industrial Area on the afternoon of December 23 2003.Moshoeshoe was a scholar at a boarding school in the south of Namibia.He was visiting his parents for the December holidays when he was killed.According to the indictment, the three boys allegedly consumed some drugs and liquor that afternoon.At some stage Engelbrecht and Renton moved away from the scene, going to a nearby park, leaving Moshoeshoe behind, it is alleged.Engelbrecht again returned to where Moshoeshoe was and carried the boy – apparently in a stupor – to a spot behind some train tracks where he raped him, it is charged.He also allegedly hit Moshoeshoe several times on his head with stones and cement bricks, or either of these.Moshoeshoe died on the scene as a result of fractures to his skull.