Cape Town – A Cape Town businessman reportedly appeared at the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday after a video of him violently assaulting his wife in front of their young daughter went viral.
In the video, the businessman and his wife can be seen laying in bed with their young daughter laying between them.
The man suddenly jumps up over the child and starts hitting the woman with his phone in his hand.
He then tries to get on top of her and she kicks him off while their daughter pushes him away but he continues hitting the mother.
At this stage, he throws his phone away and is literally on top of the mother and daughter and continues punching and smacking the woman. He then pulls the woman off the bed and appears to be strangling her while the child stands next to her mother.
IOL reported that the businessman, who can’t be named to protect the identity of his minor daughter, now faces several charges of assault.
According to AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit who is representing the woman and child, the abuse has been ongoing for years, the report said.
WARNING VIDEO NOT FOR SENSITIVE VIEWERS
Beeldmateriaal duik op van Kaapstadse sakeman wat sy vrou en kind aanval. pic.twitter.com/IJCUzct0eO
— AfriForum (@afriforum) January 25, 2023
“Several incidents were captured by the couple’s closed-circuit TV. In August 2018, the unit’s client opened a case of assault against her husband. The police arrested the accused, and he was later granted bail,” the report quoted AfriForum as saying.
Unfortunately, the case was later withdrawn, reported The Citizen.
“The police arrested the accused, and he was later granted bail. Unfortunately, years of physical and emotional abuse took their toll on the woman and her daughter. Her lawyer at the time told the prosecutor that they were emotionally unfit to testify – the case was subsequently withdrawn,” the report quoted AfriForum as saying.
AfriForum said it made representations to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the case was re-registered, the report said.
“We will keep a close eye on this case to ensure that justice is served, ” Barry Bateman, spokesperson of AfriForum’s private prosecution unit was quoted as saying.
The businessman was expected back in court on February 16.
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Compiled by Olwethu Mpeshe
