The case against Cassidy Hartzenberg, the man who accused
of murdering the Cape Town Magistrate, Romay van Rooyen, has been postponed
until 25 August. He appeared in the Western Cape High Court on Friday for a pretrial hearing.
The court heard on Friday that staff at Pollsmoor Prison
were unable to locate Hartzenberg that morning. He was apparently moved from
the Medium-A section to another section.
Erasmus was bitterly unhappy about the "missing"
Hartzenberg and ordered the state and the police to go find him at the prison
and bring him to court. He said he was looking for explanations, because it was
clear that prison authorities had not obeyed an order.
"We know from previous appearances what his mental
state is and that he has suicidal tendencies. We do not know what his mental
state is now and whether the section where he is now is suitable for his
detention."
He went on to say that he could only imagine the anxiety
that Hartzenberg's mother was experiencing as she sat in the public gallery.
"To sit here and wonder 'where is my child?'"
Hartzenberg was finally brought to court after 12:00 on
Friday after the investigating officers themselves went to collect him from the
prison.
Hartzenberg's mother, father and sister were in court on
Friday morning.
At Hartzenberg's previous appearance on 26 May, Erasmus
ordered that Pollsmoor Prison be informed of Hartzenberg's suicidal tendencies
and that he be monitored until he can be admitted.
The decision followed after dr. Esmé Antoinette Swanepoel,
a district physician at the Victoria Hospital, evaluated him and made a
preliminary diagnosis that Hartzenberg was suffering from a mood disorder and
that he had tried to take his own life. She found that he also suffers from a
psychotic disorder and has abused drugs.
Swanepoel recommended that he be referred to the Valkenberg
psychiatric hospital and that he receive "urgent psychiatric
attention".
Bush Radio News previously reported that a medical report
submitted to the court in May indicated that Hartzenberg had a drug problem and
had tried to take his own life twice.
The reason for the postponement is so that Hartzenberg
waits for a place in the Valkenberg psychiatric hospital, where he must be
admitted for psychological evaluation.
He will remain in custody in the hospital section of
Pollsmoor Prison.
Hartzenberg was arrested a few days after 50 year-old Van
Rooyen was found strangled to death in her Marina Da Gama home, in September
2022. Hartzenberg was arrested in Mitchells Plain, after Van Rooyen’s vehicle
was found on Highland’s Drive.
The 19-year-old Hartzenberg, who is a relative of the
victim, faces charges of murder and theft.
Done By: Mitchum George
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