Andrew Jordaan took seven-year-old Sheldean Human to isolated bushes 500m from his home in a ”premeditated manner” to sexually assault and murder her, the Pretoria High Court found on Tuesday.
Acting Judge Chris Eksteen found Jordaan guilty of the kidnapping, the attempted rape and the murder of Sheldean and also found him guilty of raping and indecently assaulting her eight-year-old friend.
Jordaan was also found him guilty of a charge of possession of dagga.
Eksteen rejected Jordaan’s version of what happened on February 18 2007 when Sheldean disappeared, calling him ”a blatant liar”.
Eksteen also rejected Jordaan’s claim that he was coerced and tortured by police to confess to the murder, saying it was unlikely.
”The accused took her in a premeditated action to the bushes … the court accepts she was strangled before her body was thrown in the manhole … the court also accepts that the accused penetrated her private parts with his fingers before and after her death,” the judge said.
Eksteen said he personally believed Jordaan raped Sheldean but that the evidence could only support attempted rape.
He also found that Jordaan raped and indecently assaulted one of Sheldean’s friends during an earlier incident.
Jordaan sat listening without emotion as he was found guilty.
Top cop, Director Piet Byleveld, who helped investigate the case, said after the judgement that he was extremely happy with the outcome.
”I’m happy and satisfied with the verdict — this is not the type of man that should walk free, and it was sad that innocent children had to suffer,” he said.
Sheldean’s grandfather, who was in tears after the verdict, said he still felt he could strangle Jordaan.
”I hope the sentencing is even better than the verdict, he deserves more … but what help is it if he goes to prison for 40 years and he comes out and does the same thing again — such a person is sick.
”My child did not ask for it, seven-years-old, her life was in front of her, she was a small person.”
The girl’s crying mother Elize told reporters outside court she was happy that ”justice took its course”.
Jordaan’s family, who also were in tears, said notwithstanding the verdict, they still believed he was innocent.
”We will stand alongside Andrew, and we will appeal in this case,” his older sister Jacqueline Nortje said.
”All the evidence is against him, but it is impossible, it was not him,” she added.
The court would on Wednesday hear arguments regarding Jordaan’s sentencing. – Sapa