Murder accused 'abused by husband'
2013-02-18 11:40
Johannesburg - A woman accused of murdering her husband told
the Middelburg Magistrate's Court he had regularly subjected her and her
children to horrific abuse, according to a report on Monday.
Ronell Botma is applying for bail in the case in which she
is charged with the murder of her husband, Tizi Ciciliato.
She appeared in court last week, together with her domestic
worker Annah Mokwana, 51, Mokwana's sister Bule Dinah Mokwana, 45, Mbuso Khoza,
29, Henry Chego, 29, Doctor Jacob Tlou, 30, and Tsietsi Letsebe, 34.
The case was postponed until Monday, Beeld reported.
The seven face charges of murder, conspiracy to commit
murder, and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Ciciliato was stabbed and bludgeoned to death with a hammer
in his Middelburg home two weeks ago.
Josef van Eeden, Botma's attorney, last week read a
psychiatric report compiled by Professor Vollie Spies, who evaluated Botma
earlier in the week.
Spies said Ciciliato had abused Botma emotionally, verbally
and physically.
"She was not permitted to make decisions and he began
to isolate her. He controlled her finances and she was forbidden to socialise
outside her family."
According to the report, Ciciliato demanded absolute
obedience in his home, and Fleming and her children were regularly choked,
beaten, humiliated and tied up.
The report also stated that Botma had tried to leave her
husband four years ago, but that he had caught her and threatened to kill her.
- SAPA
