Child-murder accused says she is ‘done’ with case

A woman accused of murdering her year-old son in the //Kharas region in January last year says court proceedings in her case in the Windhoek High Court should continue in her absence.

During a pretrial hearing before deputy judge president Hosea Angula yesterday, Vapeni Boois (36) said she wants to be left in the cell where she is held in custody and does not want to be compelled to attend further court proceedings in her case.

“They can do it without my physical presence, in absentia, and finish the case in absentia,” Boois said.

“I’m done. I cannot be subjected to this form of humiliation,” she said as well.

Boois, who is a former police officer, 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 three days before the boy was killed, the state is alleging.

During a previous pretrial hearing in the High Court, Boois told Angula she does not want to be represented by a legal practitioner and does not want to apply for state-funded legal aid – but also said she would appreciate being helped by a lawyer if the court asked one to assist her.

Angula told Boois during another pretrial hearing in October that she is facing serious charges and in his view needs legal assistance.

Angula also informed her he had asked defence lawyer Susan Nyatondo to assist her.

Nyatondo reported to Angula yesterday that she has had a consultation with Boois and that she prepared answers to a pretrial memorandum, which is a set of questions that the prosecution wants Boois to answer to gauge her response to the charges she is facing.

However, Boois has informed her that she has decided she would not sign the document containing the answers prepared by her, Nyatondo said.

Addressing the judge from the dock, Boois said: “As I’m speaking now, my case is already delict. I have no intention of being indicted. […] I cannot be indicted. I refuse.”

She added: “Whatever is happening is without my agreement.”

Boois also said she already finished her case in a regional court and it has been proven that her case is not fair, and if the case is to continue it must be under United Nations Charter provisions.

“I’m done,” Boois said, adding: “I know what happened and I know what I did. I cannot be subjected to this.”

Boois continued: “Finish the court case and hand me over if necessary under the UN Charter.”

The pretrial hearing ended with Angula informing Boois that her matter is being allocated to judge Philanda Christiaan, who should preside at her trial, and that she has to make a first appearance before Christiaan on 28 January.

Boois is being held in custody.