South Africa - Martin, 55, Theresa, 54, Rudi van Breda, 22, murdered, 26 Jan 2015 #1

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Definitely fragile ...
Cape Town - Western Cape police are reportedly "reluctant" to let Henri van Breda fly to Pretoria to attend the memorial service for his murdered parents and brother.
According to Netwerk24, a family friend said he was unsure if Henri would be at the private service in Moreleta Park on Thursday because police were hesitant about him going.
A police spokesperson declined to comment on this, and family spokesperson Ben Rootman could not confirm Henri's attendance.
...
Marli remains in a stable condition in a Somerset West hospital while Henri is in the care of his uncle in Stellenbosch.
The family friend told Netwerk24 he had seen Henri on Sunday. He described him as being very quiet and still in severe shock. There was a sombre atmosphere at the home, he added.
One of Henri's good friends will be arriving from Australia soon to support him.
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/N...an-Breda-son-fly-to-memorial-service-20150205
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It looks like medical staff and police investigators have high hopes that Marli will be able to talk. The poor girl. What a situation to wake up to.
Marli has been under police guard in hospital to prevent her from being influenced when she is eventually well enough to give her statement.

Andre van Breda also said after the memorial service in Pretoria, that Henri had a legal team and that everyone was supporting him.

"For obvious reasons Henri is very heartbroken, and we will support him as the family. We as family are here for him, we will not disappoint him," Van Breda said in the Pretoria News.

"I promise Henri I won't drop him," he added.

Police have not made any arrests in the murder.
http://news.iafrica.com/sa/981693.html
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Boland axe murders: Marli van Breda speaks for the first time

Johannesburg - The 16 year old Marli van Breda, who survived the vicious Boland axe murder that claimed three of her family members last month, has spoken for the first time since the attacks, Rapport newspaper has learnt.
Rapport has also confirmed that an advocate who acted for the British honeymoon murder accused Shrien Dewani has been approached by the Van Breda family to represent Henri van Breda (20), the only member of the family who was not maimed or killed in the attack. He sustained light injuries.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/N...-van-Breda-speaks-for-the-first-time-20150207


That says it all, imo. :(
 
Axe attack survivor Henri van Breda's injuries were self-inflicted. And he only called emergency services four hours after his brother and parents were murdered.
This week, sources close to the police investigation revealed that the official police injury form completed by the doctor who examined Henri after the murders states that the scratches and bruises on his arms were "self-inflicted".
It has also emerged that the murders took place on the exclusive De Zalze estate at about 3am. Henri called emergency services at 7.30am.

Marli's fragile emotional state and her physical condition have so far prevented police from taking a statement. Sources said that once her statement was taken, an arrest would be made.
Nurses have put up photos of her family on the walls of her room. Sources said she cried when she looked at them.
But, sources said, there were no pictures of Henri on the wall.


http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2015/02/08/shock-twist-in-stellenbosch-axe-killings1

Henri must have thought Marli was dead when he finally called emergency services 4 hours after the attack.

I cannot imagine the pain this girl must be going through, her brother is the family annihilator. :cry:

I don't understand why he isn't held in custody and a psychological assessment made. What if Marli didn't make a full recovery to give a statement? Henri chose his weapons so he could kill them without disturbance from his neighbours. I'm sure he has access to guns, but an ax is a silent weapon. JMO
 
Incredibly sad for poor Marli.

Given the developments, I wonder how she will feel when she finds out that the rest of the family appear to have thrown all their weight and money behind supporting the brother who (it seems at the moment) murdered her parents and brother and tried to murder her.

The family spokesperson appears to be Uncle André - this reminded me of another very rich SA uncle who seemed hell-bent on trying to exempt his nephew from facing the consequences of his actions.

Henri was even smuggled into the memorial service by the extended family. Is that really appropriate?

Henri also attended the memorial service, where he had to be sneaked into the church to avoid the media.

André told those attending that Henri was "heartbroken and traumatised".

"I promised Henri I won't drop him," said André. "We as the family are Henri's backup and we will support him."

Ben Rootman, a spokesman for the family, confirmed that a top legal team had been assembled to represent Henri.
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I know that no arrest has been made yet, but if the 'self-inflicted' injuries and three and a half hour delay in calling the emergency services are true (when the only thing preventing him from calling appears to have been some cuts and bruises on his arms), then it is hard to think of a scenario where Henri is not culpable in some way.

What is it about incredibly rich SA families and their desire to protect family members from answering for their criminal acts however awful those acts might be?

Even if it turns out that Henri has some profound problem with his mental health, surely he should be in a psychiatric facility receiving appropriate treatment rather than at home with the family at this point? If this was a family which was not hugely wealthy, would the potential perpetrator be treated this way? Somehow I doubt it.

:moo:
 
Lyra500 said:
Incredibly sad for poor Marli.

Given the developments, I wonder how she will feel when she finds out that the rest of the family appear to have thrown all their weight and money behind supporting the brother who (it seems at the moment) murdered her parents and brother and tried to murder her.

The family spokesperson appears to be Uncle André - this reminded me of another very rich SA uncle who seemed hell-bent on trying to exempt his nephew from facing the consequences of his actions.

Henri was even smuggled into the memorial service by the extended family. Is that really appropriate?



I know that no arrest has been made yet, but if the 'self-inflicted' injuries and three and a half hour delay in calling the emergency services are true (when the only thing preventing him from calling appears to have been some cuts and bruises on his arms), then it is hard to think of a scenario where Henri is not culpable in some way.

What is it about incredibly rich SA families and their desire to protect family members from answering for their criminal acts however awful those acts might be?

Even if it turns out that Henri has some profound problem with his mental health, surely he should be in a psychiatric facility receiving appropriate treatment rather than at home with the family at this point? If this was a family which was not hugely wealthy, would the potential perpetrator be treated this way? Somehow I doubt it.

:moo:
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That is exactly what this reminded me of too---The Alpha Uncle in the Pistorius clan. Protecting the devious, violent nephews, at all costs. :no: SMH
 
From PrimeSuspect's link it said the ax was brand new. So if they can find where he bought it, maybe video of the sales... case over.
 
possumheart said:
It looks like medical staff and police investigators have high hopes that Marli will be able to talk. The poor girl. What a situation to wake up to.
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I, personally, will be surprised if she can remember anything from days or weeks before this attack. My son had a brain tumor removed on purpose, planned, at Vanderbilt, on Nov. 17, 2014. He still cannot remember much of what happened from Halloween on. And this girl's injuries and attack are much more horrid and damaging overall.
 
Sorry if this has been posted already, but seriously?! Marli is under police guard with no one (not even family) allowed to visit in case whoever did this tries to finish her off. And yet Henri - the only other surviving member of the family who is at even greater risk, having "seen a man with an axe" and escaped with minor injuries - is keeping a low profile and staying with his uncle. I appreciate he may well be traumatised (see below) - but if the police really believed that someone outside of the family did this, Henri would have at least the same - if not more - protection as his sister. The fact that he doesn't - and has been allowed to stay with his uncle without any obvious police protection, suggests to me that a) he's the prime suspect but police are hoping to get more definitive evidence before charging him and/or b) they have enough evidence to charge him, but are wary that he comes from a very wealthy, influential family and/or c) they don't have enough evidence (yet), and the uncle and family know he's responsible but are protecting him for one or more of the following reasons:
1) lack of faith in mental health defense/ongoing provision - i.e. Henri experienced a full-blown psychiatric episode and there is truth in reports that he's devastated by what happened
2) money (e.g. uncle may well be executor and/or stand to profit from his brother's will if he supports surviving members of the family)
3) reputation.

However, given the way the last two high profile cases in SA panned out, I'm not sure we'll ever know the truth...
 
Lola68 said:
Sorry if this has been posted already, but seriously?! Marli is under police guard with no one (not even family) allowed to visit in case whoever did this tries to finish her off. And yet Henri - the only other surviving member of the family who is at even greater risk, having "seen a man with an axe" and escaped with minor injuries - is keeping a low profile and staying with his uncle. I appreciate he may well be traumatised (see below) - but if the police really believed that someone outside of the family did this, Henri would have at least the same - if not more - protection as his sister. The fact that he doesn't - and has been allowed to stay with his uncle without any obvious police protection, suggests to me that a) he's the prime suspect but police are hoping to get more definitive evidence before charging him and/or b) they have enough evidence to charge him, but are wary that he comes from a very wealthy, influential family and/or c) they don't have enough evidence (yet), and the uncle and family know he's responsible but are protecting him for one or more of the following reasons:
1) lack of faith in mental health defense/ongoing provision - i.e. Henri experienced a full-blown psychiatric episode and there is truth in reports that he's devastated by what happened
2) money (e.g. uncle may well be executor and/or stand to profit from his brother's will if he supports surviving members of the family)
3) reputation.

However, given the way the last two high profile cases in SA panned out, I'm not sure we'll ever know the truth...
Click to expand...

It is worrying how this is panning out and I agree about your observations, another SA influential family who call the shots and protecting their due money. It's quite revealing that Marli doesn't receive family visitors, not her brother or uncle.

HVB is described as being traumatised, but I'm a bit skeptical about this. Is this a clinical assessment or his uncle's opinion? HVB could be 'traumatised' by the fact his sister is alive, that would definitely come as a shock to him as he didn't call emergency until four hours after the attack. He assumed he was the lone survivor and then 'allegedly' injures himself, this imo, is a very cunning tactic to get away with the murders and I don't think it's covered by a psychotic episode. HVB planned the murders in advance and bought an new ax which means he didn't suddenly go into a rage and grab something to hand.

Another point I made earlier in the thread was that HVB accessed his fb page and added friends, who does this after being attacked by a 'man with an ax', and his family dead, his sister barely alive? Within a few days the fb page was removed. :thinking: JMO
 
According to one report in a South African newspaper, a police doctor had found Henri's own minor injuries to have been 'self-inflicted' despite telling police how his family were attacked by 'two or three men' wielding an axe.
According to police sources, Henri told investigators that he was in an upstairs bathroom at the wealthy family's home at De Zalze estate, in Stellenbosch in the early hours of last Tuesday morning when intruders attacked his family.

He described how an unknown killer first hacked to death his brother, Rudi, 'with tremendous strength with an axe'.
According to his account to police, father Martin rushed to defend his older son, but was cut down as by the killer. Mother, Teresa, was the next to be murdered, while Marli somehow survived appalling injuries. Henri said in his interview with investigators that he was 'knocked out cold' and the attacker 'threw the axe at him'.
When he regained consciousness, he phoned police on his mobile, just after 7.30am last Tuesday. According to his phone records, Henri surfed the internet twice before phoning for help.
Reports claim he appeared confused about times and dates, but was calm and composed when recounting events to police, apart from he was asked about his sister when he became distressed.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-walk-free-charge-honeymoon-murder-bride.html

How can HVB tell the order of the attacks if he was in the bathroom? So one axe between 2 or 3 men? He didn't fear for his life that the men would come back, I mean, they know he's alive?! HVB is the largest member of the family, the intruders would have targeted him first, imo.
HVB surfed the net before calling emergency, he did that while his sister was in hospital too!!
Of course, he becomes distressed when his sister is mentioned, she's the witness! :scared:

HVB hasn't been arrested yet!!! :mad:
 
HVB not arrested yet!!!

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Axe-thrown-at-surviving-Van-Breda-son-report-20150213

The comments sums this all up! No one believes him, but let me guess, when it goes to court the Judge will believe every ridiculous claim HVB makes, he'll be set free to be babysat by his Uncle and share the millions?!! :mad:


hvb-890x395_c.jpg


http://www.thesouthafrican.com/van-breda-murders-henri-reveals-details-of-axe-attack-to-police/

As Marli’s condition continues to improve, she has been moved from intensive care into a private ward and only medical staff and the police are allowed close to her, as police wait to be able to take her statement on the killings.

In the meantime, police have been searching for the shop where the murder weapon, an axe, was purchased and by whom. They do, however, state that the axe was sharpened prior to the incident.


http://www.**************/1833759/n...y-murder-in-south-africa/#lyCTJXUmXxz22YHI.99

I can't believe it's up to Marli to solve this case!!!! Poor child, she and her family didn't deserve to die or be treated as an after thought, as the sole heir prepares with his Uncle for his defense. This absolute madness imo!!! Where is the support for Marli?! :mad:
 
South African student who survived triple axe murder of his own family may have been high on drugs at the time

Henri van Breda, 20, was left with minor injuries following horrific slaying

His parents and brother were killed but sister was left fighting for her life

Man claiming to be Henri's drug 'runner' says he was a 'regular customer'

Henri alerted emergency services four hours after the blood bath

Police believe the student's cuts and bruises may have been self-inflicted

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...der-family-high-drugs-time.html#ixzz3Rs1SOme1
 
Blondie in Spokane said:
South African student who survived triple axe murder of his own family may have been high on drugs at the time

Henri van Breda, 20, was left with minor injuries following horrific slaying

His parents and brother were killed but sister was left fighting for her life

Man claiming to be Henri's drug 'runner' says he was a 'regular customer'

Henri alerted emergency services four hours after the blood bath

Police believe the student's cuts and bruises may have been self-inflicted

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...der-family-high-drugs-time.html#ixzz3Rs1SOme1
Click to expand...

From your link Blondie, ty,

Henri's parents had cut his allowance off just days before the attack and he has spent time in an exclusive drug rehab centre recently.



Why isn't HVB in custody?! This is just so pathetic! He's a callous human being who's being treated with kid gloves because his family is rich! Shocking!! Another indulged 'child' who killed his family and will escape justice!! :mad:
 
PrimeSuspect said:
Speculation about health of Van Breda son

Cape Town - The parents of Henri van Breda, 20, who survived last week's gruesome axe attack on his family at their Stellenbosch home relatively unscathed, had reportedly been concerned about his health.
Netwerk24 spoke to a domestic worker at the De Zalze golf estate where the family lived, who said she ran into Henri in the street in October last year. He allegedly shouted at her and made inappropriate innuendos, leading her to believe he was under the influence of drugs.


http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Speculation-about-health-of-axe-murders-survivor-20150202
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Incorrect grammar
 
PrimeSuspect said:
It is worrying how this is panning out and I agree about your observations, another SA influential family who call the shots and protecting their due money. It's quite revealing that Marli doesn't receive family visitors, not her brother or uncle.
HVB is described as being traumatised, but I'm a bit skeptical about this. Is this a clinical assessment or his uncle's opinion? HVB could be 'traumatised' by the fact his sister is alive, that would definitely come as a shock to him as he didn't call emergency until four hours after the attack. He assumed he was the lone survivor and then 'allegedly' injures himself, this imo, is a very cunning tactic to get away with the murders and I don't think it's covered by a psychotic episode. HVB planned the murders in advance and bought an new ax which means he didn't suddenly go into a rage and grab something to hand.

Another point I made earlier in the thread was that HVB accessed his fb page and added friends, who does this after being attacked by a 'man with an ax', and his family dead, his sister barely alive? Within a few days the fb page was removed. :thinking: JMO
Click to expand...

BBM

If the investigation is like it is here in the US no one would be allowed in the hospital room where Marli is. The only ones allowed in her room would be only the doctors, nurses, and police officers who would be there guarding her safety.

This is to protect Marli since she is the only surviving victim of this horrific crime against not only herself but her family. They would not let her brother come there. The mere sight of him may cause a lot of undue stress and could make her condition worse. The police will continue to protect her from everyone...even other family members. When she can finally speak and tell them what happened the police wants it to be free from outside interference and pressure.

Even when she finally leaves the hospital she will be under police protection or at least until her murdering brother is arrested. IMO
 
PrimeSuspect said:
HVB not arrested yet!!!

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Axe-thrown-at-surviving-Van-Breda-son-report-20150213

The comments sums this all up! No one believes him, but let me guess, when it goes to court the Judge will believe every ridiculous claim HVB makes, he'll be set free to be babysat by his Uncle and share the millions?!! :mad:


hvb-890x395_c.jpg


http://www.thesouthafrican.com/van-breda-murders-henri-reveals-details-of-axe-attack-to-police/

As Marli’s condition continues to improve, she has been moved from intensive care into a private ward and only medical staff and the police are allowed close to her, as police wait to be able to take her statement on the killings.

In the meantime, police have been searching for the shop where the murder weapon, an axe, was purchased and by whom. They do, however, state that the axe was sharpened prior to the incident.


http://www.**************/1833759/n...y-murder-in-south-africa/#lyCTJXUmXxz22YHI.99

I can't believe it's up to Marli to solve this case!!!! Poor child, she and her family didn't deserve to die or be treated as an after thought, as the sole heir prepares with his Uncle for his defense. This absolute madness imo!!! Where is the support for Marli?! :mad:
Click to expand...

This has happened many times in other cases where there was a surviving victim of mass murder.

It isn't up to Marli to solve the case. She will be the key witness in the trial if it comes to that so of course her statement of what happened is indeed needed..like it has been needed in other murder cases that had a surviving victim. There is no getting around the fact that she is the key witness.

I feel the police already have amassed a lot of evidence against her brother and all they are waiting for is Marli's complete statement of what happened. With her eye witness statement they will have an iron clad case when combining it with all the other evidence they have. That is the only reason they are waiting to get her statement of the events. Once that is obtained then the investigation will forward to an arrest of the suspect.

The police are going to be the ones who solve this case and Marli's statement will assist them in doing so.
 
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