Cape paedophile sentencing to resume
2013-01-24 09:31
Johannesburg - Sentencing of Johannes Kleinhans, for a string of sex crimes
against girls, is expected to resume in the Parow Regional Court in Cape Town
on Thursday.
The 74-year-old director of companies has been convicted on 95 charges,
including assault and possession of child pornography.
Sentencing was postponed last year because his lawyer, Johannes Grobbelaar,
needed to study the State's psychiatric report and discuss it with his client.
The defence also sought second opinion.
Dr Marcel Londt, a social worker involved in the treatment of sex offenders
told the court on Wednesday there was no fast cure for paedophilia.
Londt, who was giving testimony for the defence in the trial, said
Kleinhans' affliction was "not a problem that could be addressed
overnight", and long-term imprisonment was not conducive to effective
treatment.
'Not best environment'
She told the court Kleinhans' period of incarceration, whilst awaiting
trial, had in itself already addressed the deterrent aspect of treatment.
According to her, prison was not the best environment to deal with the other
aspects.
"We need strict control over his treatment, in order to make it very
difficult for him to re-offend. The effective management of his treatment would
also involve his family."
Londt is heading a specialised anti-child abuse treatment programme called
the Child Abuse Therapeutic and Training Service (Catts).
When questioned by prosecutor Herculine Swart, Londt said the Catts
programme ran for 36 months, and did not offer 24-hour monitoring.
She said the Catts programme was not "broad therapy", and needed
very strict control, which was impossible in prison due to general staff
shortages.
- SAPA
