‘I am the lawyer’

. . . woman refuses lawyer for child-murder trial

A former police officer accused of murdering her year-old son by stabbing him more than a dozen times says she does not want to be represented by a lawyer during her trial.

“I am the lawyer,” Vapeni Boois (36) told deputy judge president Hosea Angula in the Windhoek High Court yesterday, after he asked her if she had a lawyer to represent her.

Insisting that she does not want to have legal representation, Boois also said in her opinion she should not be tried, because there was corruption in her case before it was transferred to the High Court, where she attended a pretrial hearing yesterday.

Boois is due to be prosecuted on charges of murder, read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act, and defeating or obstructing the course of justice.

The state is alleging that she murdered her son, Amare Boois (1), in the Bethanie area in the //Kharas region on 12 January last year.

Amare was allegedly stabbed 15 times with a knife or other sharp object.

The state is also alleging that Boois buried the boy’s body in a shallow grave near Bethanie after he had been killed, and burned some clothes and other objects in an attempt to destroy evidence and frustrate a police investigation into Amare’s death.

Boois had left her mother’s house at Swakopmund, where she was staying, with her son on 9 January last year, the state is alleging as well.

Deputy prosecutor general Antonia Verhoef informed Angula that Boois has gone through a period of psychiatric observation after being arrested.

A psychiatrist completed a report on her mental condition and has found that she is fit to stand trial, but also stated that her responsibility for her actions was diminished, Verhoef said.

Boois told the judge she was referred for psychiatric observation against her will, “after I proved I was mentally stable”.

She also said: “I don’t think this trial is supposed to happen. […] I made my conclusion that the case should not continue, because the case is delict [sic].”

“If this trial continues it is an illegal trial. It is delict. I will not plead,” Boois said as well.

Although she insists she does want to have legal representation and will not apply for legal aid, she would appreciate having a lawyer appointed by the court to assist her, though, she added.

Boois said she has a qualification in police studies and is trained to do basic law.

Angula, who cautioned Boois that she is facing serious charges that could result in a heavy sentence if she is found guilty, said the court would try to appoint a lawyer to assist Boois during her trial.

Boois’ next pretrial hearing is scheduled to take place on 17 October.

She is being held in custody.