Cape Town - A rape victim in the case against a convicted child killer was recalled to testify in sentencing in the Western Cape High Court yesterday.
Last week, Jerome Amerika, 23, was convicted of raping and murdering 10-year-old Shamonique Claasen in February in Paarl this year.
He was also convicted of raping his girlfriend in April 2015.
Shamonique was murdered the day before her 11th birthday. Her body was found by her family several days after she went missing.
Amerika had hidden her body, wrapped in a blanket and tied up with wire, under his bed.
On Wednesday, Judge Robert Henney said the rape victim had not laid a charge against Amerika at the time and instead forgave him and took him back.
Henney said he had to question her about that decision before he decided on an appropriate sentence.
The two have a four-year-old child together.
Asked why she had sex with Amerika even after the brutal beatings and the rape, the victim replied: “He always came back to me, he apologised, said he would change, and I believed him every time.”
State Prosecutor Maria Marshall emphasised the violent nature of the rape and murder of Shamonique and reminded the judge that Amerika had a history of violent behaviour.
“He is a violent offender who has shown no remorse, even smirking at all the family members who were witnesses in this case,” said Marshall.
“He deserves the fiercest sentence for his crimes against this child.”
The defence lawyer, Daniel Theunissen, blamed his client’s bad childhood.
“He had never gone to school and went to play in the bushes instead of going where his parents had sent him,” he said.
“My client is sick and the woman, who continuously took him back is also sick.
“It is what happens in some of our communities,” he said of the rape victim.
“It’s like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, he is two different people.”
Shamonique’s mom Magdalene broke down, crying for Shamonique.
“Every morning I watch as other children go to school and I cry, because that will never be her,” says the heartbroken mother.
“I want my child. I miss her. We live in a Wendy house and she always promised me she would grow up and buy me a big house. She wanted to work for me. I will never have my child again.”
The matter was postponed to Tuesday for sentencing.