Day 6 of the alledged Sunday Rapist Trail.

Today I am going to start the story from the end. The first three photographs was shot after Steyn's ex wife testified in camera. There was a short break and he came back into court and saw that his wife had retaken her seat in the witness stand. He was crying while she was testifying before the break but we were not allowed to take pictures while the Judge is still in court so that opportunity we missed. So I waited for him to come back after the break. I kept watching him and saw that he keeps looking over at his ex wife behind the window (she cant see into court but he can see her). I saw that he was getting emotional again and just before the Judge came in he wiped the tears from his eyes.

Steyn looking over at his ex wife that is sitting behind the window waiting to testify in camera.

Steyn wiping away his tears just as the judge comes into court. 

The rest of the pics below is just the normal happenings in court. 

Steyn pulling his strange face as photographers take his picture. I don't think he does this on purpose its probably just him sniffing?

Steyn chatting to his laywer.

Steyn looking back at the court.

Steyn smilling after joking with photographers. There was also another acuused from another trail sitting next to him, that case was just quickly postponed, Steyn also said that the other acuused was making him laugh.

Steyn entering the court from the holding cells.

Another minor testified in camera today about what happened to her after she was abducted by the Alledged Sunday Rapist. Hearing these young girls tell their story's fills you with feelings of anger and sadness that something so horrific had happened to them. No one deserves to be put through what these girls have gone through.

I'm not going to go into further details, for more info on this case go read Janice Keogh's article that apeared on Beeld's website: http://www.beeld.com/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/Sondagverkragter-saak-hervat-20120730

Day 3 of the Alledged Sunday Rapist Trail

 Jaco Steyn laughing when he asked me today whether I brought the money after he asked me yesterday whether he could get R1 for every photograph I take of him.

Adv. Anton Lerm consulting with Steyn in the holding sells in court, on the right is a reflection in the window of the court room.

My experiences.

Day three was again a very emotional day in court with the forensic pathologist giving testimony. Dr Gina Rowe testified that Louise De Waal was probably still alive when her body was burnt. I must say that its not an easy thing to hear even though we try to distance ourselves by "hiding" behind the lens. I can only imagine what the De Waal family must be going through and my heart really goes out to them. Standing in court and facing your daughters alleged killer must be one of the most difficult things to do.

I'm not a journalist by trade so I wont be going into all the details of all the witnesses testimonies but more my own experiences of the trial.

Steyn is a very interesting character always coming in to court and sitting down immediately, looking down and arranging his documents that he takes notes on. Sometimes he starts by making notes other times he just sits there. He also carriers a Bible into court with him. The weirdest thing is trying to photograph him and then while your not expecting it, he suddenly looks up and says something to you. This is where he asked me the first time about the R1 for every photo and him smiling on the photo.

Then directly after that the court adjourns and after the break he comes back and he tells the judge that the photographers are too intense and that he will revoke his permission for us to photograph him if we don't cool it down. Weird I know.

I must say on day three its already getting difficult getting new photographs that has not been shot yet. I managed today but I will have to get creative during the rest of the trial. When I need to photograph the De Waal family, I try to give them their space and stand far back shooting with my long lense as not to intrude. My focus is more on Jaco Steyn and what he does during the times I'm allowed to photograph him. But I also try to read the situation with the testimonies that are going on, and try to get a feel of what the story in the paper will be like. The reason is that I'm trying to match up my photograph with the story.



Dag 3 in die hof 


Uitreksel uit Marzanne Van Den Berg se Storie wat in Beeld verskyn het vandag: Die volle artikel is beskikbaar by: http://www.beeld.com/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/Sy-leef-toe-sy-brand-hoor-hof-20120725

Woensdag het die hof gehoor Louise de Waal het waarskynlik nog gelewe toe haar liggaam aan die brand gesteek is.

Dr. Gina Rowe, die patoloog wat die lykskouing op die 16-jarige se verkoolde lyk gehou het, het gister gesê sy het roet in Louise se lugpyp gevind en dit dui aan sy het nog asemgehaal toe die brand gestig is.

“Oh my God,” het Shireen de Waal, Louise se ma, duidelik hoorbaar in die openbare galery gesê in reaksie op Rowe se woorde.

Dit was op die derde dag van die verhoor van Johannes Jacobus Steyn (36), die vermeende “Sondagverkragter”. 

Hy staan in die hooggeregshof wat in die Palm Ridge-landdroshof in Thokoza aan die Oos-Rand sit op 37 aanklagte tereg, waaronder die ontvoering en verkragting van en moord op Louise. 

Sy is op 12 Oktober verlede jaar in Roodepoort ontvoer.

Die res van die artikel kan by die link wat bo gegee word gelees word. 

Day 2 of Alledged Sunday Rapist trail

 Steyn smiling at the camera after he asked me if he can get R1 for every photo I take of him and I replied that it would be a shit load of money.

 Jessica Du Toit lying on her mothers shoulder in the trial.

 Shireen De Waal stares at Steyn after she shouted at him in court. She shouted "Jaco Steyn! I want him to look at me, he murdered my daughter."

Ok and my favourite shot, worked better for me in colour.

My own remarks

The trail is a very difficult one photo wise because Steyn only has one expression and the only real expressions he shows is when he talks to his lawyer. So I try to work with it.

Its also a very emotional trial with the De Waal family being present and my heart goes out to them in this difficult time. I really try to keep my distance when photographing them as I don't want to intrude. It makes it difficult because my job as a photojournalist is to record the trail proceedings by means of photographs even if it means photographing emotional situations. Many people may judge us because of this, but its our job, unfortunately, or so we feel sometimes. Each one of us (news photographers) deals with these emotions of pain and extreme sorrow we see on regular basis in their own way. These emotions don't just disappear because we stand behind a camera most of us takes the pain, of all the other people we encounter, to bed with us each night.



Stay tuned for day 3's pics, will be posted tomorrow.

Trail starts for the Alledged Sunday Rapist

 Shireen De Waal the mother of murdered Louise De Waal.

 Johannes Jacobus Steyn in court taking notes.

 The Bible he brings with him into court.

Storie deur Marzanne van den Berg wat in Beeld verskyn het op 24 Julie 2012


Die verhoor van die vermeende “Sondagverkragter” is tot Woensdag uitgestel ná Dinsdagoggend se getuienis in die hooggeregshof in Thokoza.

Lees Beeld se twiets oor Dinsdag se hofverrigtinge onderaan hierdie bladsy.

Maandag het die 18-jarige meisie wat by Louise de Waal (16) was toe sy op pad na die Hoërskool Die Burger in Roodepoort ontvoer is, in die hof vertel hoe die man gedreig het om haar te skiet as sy nie Louise se arm los nie.

Die verhoor van Johannes Jacobus (Jaco) Steyn vind in die splinternuwe Palm Ridge-hof aan die Oos-Rand plaas.

Steyn word onder meer aangekla van die ontvoering en verkragting van en moord op Louise.

Hy word ook aangekla van die moord op Lazanne Farmer (14) van Pretoria-Wes wat op 5 September 2010 dood is toe sy uit die bakkie gespring het van ’n man wat haar en ’n 16-jarige vriendin ontvoer het. Dié vriendin is later in ’n veld verkrag.

Benewens die twee aanklagte van moord, staan Steyn tereg op 11 aanklagte van verkragting, tien van onsedelike aanranding, een van poging tot onsedelike aanranding, twee van aanranding, tien van ontvoering en een van poging tot ontvoering.

Sy 11 vermeende slagoffers was almal tussen 11 en 18 jaar oud.

Steyn, wat die beskuldigdebank met ’n klein bruin Bybel en papier vir notas betree het, het skuld ontken op al die 37 aanklagte teen hom.

Die 18-jarige meisie, wat ingevolge ’n bevel van regter Sita Kolbe nie geïdentifiseer mag word nie, het vertel hoe Louise op 12 Oktober verlede jaar ontvoer is.

Sy het gesê Louise het bang gelyk en vir haar met haar hande beduie om weg te hardloop en iemand te gaan bel.

“My beste vriendin is van my weggeneem. Ek sal nie sy gesig vergeet nie. Ek sal nooit vergeet wat daardie dag gebeur het nie,” het sy huilend gesê. 

Sy is tydens haar getuienis gister gevra om Steyn uit te wys as die aanvaller. 

Louise se verbrande lyk is op ’n plaas naby Maropeng naby Krugersdorp gevind.

Shireen de Waal, Louise se ma, het in die getuiebank gesnik terwyl sy haar dogter se besittings op foto’s geïdentifiseer het.

Hermanus Mulder, wat ten tyde van Louise se ontvoering en moord op 12 Oktober verlede jaar in ’n kothuis in die Steyns se erf gewoon het, het getuig dat hy dié dag vinnig en net skrams ’n meisie in Steyn se bakkie sien klim het.

Hy het verder getuig hoe twee polisielede later die dag aangeklop het om na Steyn se bakkie, wat op die erf gestaan het, te vra.

Die polisielede het volgens hom ’n vullissak agterop die bakkie gevind met ’n skooltas in. Hulle het ook ’n stuk blouerige lap in die vullisdrom gevind waar hy Steyn vroeër die dag gesien het, het Mulder gesê.

Adv. Anton Lerm, namens Steyn, het Mulder uitgevra of dit moontlik sou wees dat iemand van anderkant die heining af die sak op die bakkie en iets in die vullisblik sou kon gooi.


Beeld artikel with the video can be viewed at: http://www.beeld.com/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/VIDEO-Ek-sal-hom-nie-vergeet-20120723

Keep a lookout as I will be covering the whole case and will be updating my blog daily or as i get time.