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Sheldean seen with suspect
25/03/2008 18:22 - (SA)
Pretoria - A neighbour of the murdered seven-year-old Sheldean Human told the High Court on Tuesday that she had seen the girl with her alleged killer, Andrew Jordaan, shortly before her disappearance.
Maria de Beer said Sheldean was playing with Jordaan on the pavement outside when she saw them about 18:00 on February 18 2007.
She said she had been "disturbed and shocked" when she heard Jordaan telling the little girl that she was "forward" for her age.
She understood the remark to have a sexual connotation.
Jordaan has pleaded not guilty to Sheldean's murder, abduction and rape.
The little girl's decomposed body was found in stormwater ditch near a fresh-produce market 15 days after she disappeared.
Jordaan denied guilt to charges that he had, between June 2006 and February 2007, repeatedly raped and indecently assaulted another seven-year-old girl. He gave no explanation of his plea.
Sheldean's mother, Elize Human, testified that her only child had played at a friend's house that day and she had briefly seen her at the commune about 18:00, but could not find her anywhere when she started looking for her an hour later.
Said he left her at commune
Dressed in a pink T-shirt with the photo of her daughter's face on the front, Mrs Human said she later went to Jordaan's house after hearing that he might have been with her daughter. Jordaan told her he had left the girl at the commune.
A neighbour of Jordaan's, Magelein Herbst, said two women and a girl came looking for Jordaan that night and asked if she had seen Sheldean, but he said "he had left her there (home)."
When she later asked Jordaan about the girl he told her Sheldean had followed him and did not want to leave because she was not getting food at home.
The hearing continues.
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