Mother speaks out after daughter’s alleged abuser gets bail
Mosetsanagape Montsho is a worried mother.
At Broadhurst Magistrates Court on Thursday, Montsho watched in helpless horror as, Keipeile Mantrakis Stoffel, the man accused of beating her daughter in a video that went viral last week, was granted bail.
Compounding Montsho’s frustration, her daughter, Pearl Montsho, seems in full agreement with the court’s decision.
“I am hurting because every time Stoffel assaults my daughter, she defends him,” the disillusioned mum told The Voice shortly after Thursday’s ruling.
“He insults us without shame, as if we are his age mates. The last time he insulted me so painfully that I reported him. But instead of supporting me, Pearl testified against me. Sometimes Stoffel beats her to the extent of pulling her on the tarred road, and sometimes he throws her outside the house at midnight and only opens for her in the morning. What kind of love is that? Pearl doesn’t listen to me,” she adds desperately.
Montsho is now worried about the child who recorded the incident.
“Now that Stoffel is out on bail, I fear for that child’s safety. What message are we sending when someone accused of this is allowed to walk free?” she demands.
Although, as part of the bail conditions, court ordered that Pearl be relocated to a place of safety and barred the accused from contacting her, Montsho remains fearful.
35-year-old Stoffel, a Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) employee, was thrust into the limelight last Friday, when footage emerged online appearing to show him hitting his crying girlfriend repeatedly with a stick at their Lobatse home, in full view of minors.
Stoffel was arrested later that day; charged with common assault as well as ill-treatment of children, he was arraigned before the courts in Broadhurst on Tuesday.
At the time, his attorney, Obonye Jonas, insisted the case against his client was weak and likely to collapse. Jonas pointed to testimony from the complainant, who told the court that she loves Stoffel and wants him to return home.
He also stated the couple only fight when drunk, describing Stoffel as a loving father who needs to be at home to provide for his children.
Jonas further argued there is no evidence to suggest his client is a violent individual, and maintained the Investigation Officer’s report lacked sufficient grounds to justify denial of bail. He further describedthe charges as relatively minor, with a possible sentence of six months or a fine.
However, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) opposed bail, citing Section 5 of the Children’s Act. The DPP raised concerns that the complainant’s testimony might be influenced by her emotional involvement with the accused and called for a psychiatric evaluation, suggesting the complainant may not be in a sound mental state.
After considering arguments from both sides, the court remanded Stoffel in custody until Thursday, when he was granted bail.
His freedom was set at P3, 000 with two sureties. Stoffel was further ordered not to interfere with the ongoing investigation and to report to Lobatse Police Station every Monday.
He is scheduled to reappear in court on October 20.
