The defence in the sex crimes trial of Pretoria Advocates Cezanne Visser and Dirk Prinsloo tried to stop the viewing in court on Wednesday of a police video showing naked pictures of Visser as well as Prinsloo’s ex-wife, girlfriends and other friends.
For Prinsloo, Piet Kotze asked that a portion of the video showing the pictures contained in the so called ”Red Album” not be shown to the court.
The Pretoria High Court was in the process of viewing the last of the eight videos of the police search and seizure operation at the couple’s home and their arrest in December 2002.
The defence was showing the videos as part of its cross-examination of a state witness in an attempt to prove police misconduct during the arrest.
But Kotze asked for the video to be stopped at the point where it shows the contents of an album seized from the couple’s safe.
The album apparently contains about 300 pictures of naked women and 12 which the state claims depicts minors engaged in sexual acts with Visser.
Judge Essop Patel pointed out that the videos were being shown at the insistence of the defence.
For Visser, Gerhard Botha contended that the viewing of the pictures by the media and members of the public in court could jeopardise the women pictured — whom he described as innocent people.
Andre Fourie, for the state, objected to the defence’s request.
”They went on a fishing expedition and now that they caught a shark they are complaining about it,” he told the court. – Sapa