Mom won't testify against son

2003-06-05 13:51

Johannesburg - In pre-sentence evidence, the Johannesburg High Court heard on Wednesday that Mariette Kruger - convicted of covering up the murder of her daughter-in-law - would refuse to testify in the murder trial of her son Colin Bouwer.

This was revealed in court by psychiatrist Dr Johan Louw who testified in mitigation of sentence for Kruger.

Kruger pleaded guilty on Monday to being an accessory to the murder of Maria Bouwer, who was strangled at the Bouwer's Clinton Park home.

Further testimony by Dr Louw was that the twice married Kruger, who denied being a lesbian, but has lived with a homosexual person for the past 12 years, "would do anything for her son" and her grand-daughter.

The child was seven months old at the time of the murder and is now almost five.

The court reserved sentencing to Thursday after Kruger admitted that when her son told her that Maria was dead, she rushed to the murder scene after first telling him to get out of the house and get an alibi.

Kruger then went to the house and made it look as if an intruder had attacked her daughter-in-law.

The mother of the deceased, Johanna Louisa van Schalkwyk, broke down and wept bitterly in the witness box on Thursday, telling the court she had been trying for years to see her grand-daughter, without success.

The exact motive for the murder remains unknown although it was alleged that Kruger had not approved of the deceased as a suitable wife for her son.

The two met while at school and after the baby was born Maria allegedly did not do the laundry and would buy take aways instead of making food.

The State urged the court to impose imprisonment saying that Kruger showed not the slightest remorse. The defence has called for a term of house arrest.

The separate trial of Colin Bouwer also continues on Thursday in a different high court, and Kruger faces imprisonment there if she refuses to testify.

- SAPA