Police evidence handling under scrutiny in Schoeman trial

The police’s handling of key evidence in the case of embattled lawyer, Carel Benjamin Schoeman, came under intense scrutiny during today’s proceedings.

Schoeman, who faces 26 charges including rape, child exploitation, human trafficking, and kidnapping, is at the center of a fresh controversy as his defense team, claims police mishandled sensitive evidence saying it may have even tampered with.

He is alleged to have purchased a 13-year-old girl from her mother for R160,000, then subjected her to daily rape.

During court proceedings, Schoeman’s new legal team, together with the child’s mother’s lawyer, Harold Davids, rigorously questioned state witnesses in an attempt to establish that evidence may have been tampered with.

According to former investigating officer Captain Veronica Banks, eight cellphones and one laptop containing alleged child pornographic material were seized last year.

The new investigating officer, Thabo Sekgole, who took over the case in July of last year, explained why some of the evidence was kept separate from the station’s SAP 13 register.

Davids strongly criticized the explanation, insisting that it was not within the police’s mandate to deviate from standardized evidence-keeping procedures.

The conduct of the former investigating officer, Captain Veronica Banks, also came under scrutiny during today’s proceedings.

In her testimony last year, Banks stated that the victim was separated from her siblings not because she was a negative influence, but because they were aware she was being abused.

Banks has since been replaced as the investigating officer.

Both the legal teams representing the first accused and Schoeman cross-examined the new investigating officer, Thabo Sekgole, who revealed that he had deliberately chosen not to investigate the reasons behind Banks’s withdrawal from the case.

Schoeman allegedly raped the child daily, either at a guest house or at the mother’s flat in Heidelberg. When the victim refused, he allegedly pointed a firearm at her and threatened her.

Both Schoeman and the victim’s mother maintain their innocence on all charges.

The case is set to continue on Tuesday, with the victim expected to testify.

Written by : Lebohang Ndashe