The man accused of brutally raping and murdering a young woman in Bredasdorp earlier this year still has to wait a long time for his psychiatric evaluation.
The Bredasdorp Magistrates’ Court heard yesterday that in the month since his last appearance in June, Delwigo Ward, 19, has moved up eight places, to number 87, on the waiting list for a bed at Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital.
Ward is accused of the rape and murder of Sulnita Manho, 23, whose half-naked body was found tied to a safety gate at a business on the edge of Bredasdorp in the early hours of April 2.
Sulnita was beaten with a blunt object against the head, had cuts on her arms and a bottle was shoved up her anus.
Ward was arrested within hours and has been in custody since.
The court ordered that he be sent for psychiatric evaluation to determine whether he was mentally capable of judging between right and wrong at the time of the crime and whether he is mentally fit to stand trial.
He remains behind bars until his next appearance in August.