South African Press Association (Johannesburg)
7 February 2003
Pretoria — Tattoo artist Robin Malcolm Classen will apply for his discharge on charges of abducting and molesting a seven-year-old girl and her two brothers three years ago.
Deon Basson, appearing for Classen, commenced on Friday with argument for his client's discharge on the grounds of a lack of evidence.
Acting Judge Lettie Malope, however, said she wanted full written heads of argument by the Defence and the State before her, before argument commenced.
Basson informed the court that he had prepared extensive written argument in which he dealt with the evidence of the three children and other state witnesses, including members of the police and the children's mother.
Classen, 38, has denied guilt on charges that he had, between January and September 2000, abducted the frail 7-year-old girl and her nine and 11-year-old brothers and taken them to the Kruger National Park, a block of flats and various other places in Pretoria, where he tied them up.
The little girl was allegedly repeatedly raped and indecently assaulted and the boys sodomised and indecently assaulted. They were allegedly also forced to smoke and eat insects.
It is alleged that Classen had cut crosses on the 11-year-old boy's wrists with a knife, drew blood from him and injected him with his own (Classen's) blood, threw knives at him and hit him with pipes and a stick.
His sister was allegedly bumped against a pole, slapped and hit with a sjambok.
All of the children testified in camera, but it has emerged that one of the boys claimed he had been crowned the "king of Satan" during one of the rituals.
An occult expert of the police said it was clear that especially the little girl had knowledge of the occult and all three children appeared to have been able to practice astral projection, where their souls left their bodies.
The girl said she had been told to do it to save other children from suffering the same hurt as her.
The children's mother testified about strange events at their house, including clothes flying out of cupboards, her daughter and one son going into trances and her one son chasing around his brother and sister with a huge axe and an empty look in his eyes.
Classen said at the start of his trial last year that his own children and most adults were afraid of him.
Argument for Classen's discharge will continue on Tuesday next week.
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