Christmas at home for Barbie

2009-12-08 14:07

Former advocate Cezanne Visser arrives at the North Gauteng High Court, where sentencing in her sex crimes trial was postponed to February. (Johann Hattingh, Sapa)

Pretoria - Former advocate Cezanne Visser or "advocate Barbie" will spend Christmas at home and will only hear next year if she is to be sent to jail for sexually abusing young girls and women.

Acting judge Chris Eksteen on Tuesday postponed Visser's trial to February 8 next year at the request of her senior advocate Johan Engelbrecht, who said the expert witnesses they intended calling were not yet ready to testify.

The judge warned he would not allow any further delays as Visser had already been convicted three months ago.

Visser was convicted on 11 of the 14 sex related charges against her in October.

Sexual abuse, assault

Judge Eksteen rejected her claims that she had been a hapless pawn of her former boyfriend Dirk Prinsloo.

He said she was a willing partner in the sexual abuse of three young girls from a children's home and three young women.

Visser was convicted of defrauding a children's home by pretending she was married in order to convince them to let children spend time with her and Prinsloo.

She was further found guilty on three charges of soliciting a 15-year-old girl to commit indecent acts and indecently assaulting an 11-year-old and a 14-year-old girl.

The judge also convicted her of being a beneficiary to the indecent assault of a 20-year-old woman and indecently assaulting two other young women as well as the possession and manufacturing of child porn.

The judge found Visser had willingly associated herself and actively participated in the depraved sexual activities at her former lover Prinsloo's house.

She had taken the initiative to approach children's homes to get young girls for the purpose of sexual abuse. Her actions were consistently aimed at the sexual abuse of children and women solely for the gratification of her and Prinsloo's sexual needs, the judge said at the time.

Prinsloo, who disappeared while on a business trip to Russia several years ago, will probably only be extradited to South Africa after being tried in Russia for allegedly attempting to rob a bank in that country.

- SAPA