A man accused of raping and killing his 14-year-old cousin has pleaded not guilty to the charges at the start of his trial at the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday.
A fresh-looking Moegemat Yagyah Robyn, 20, took his place in the dock before Judge Yasmin Shenaz Meer, dressed in a hooded jacket and fez.
When Judge Meer and State prosecutor Liezel Herbst asked how he pleaded to his three charges - two counts of rape and one of murder - he answered “not guilty”.
The State is set to prove that Robyn lured his cou- sin, Camron Britz, away from a gallieblik fire in a block of flats in Ocean View on the night of Saturday, 1 July 2017, under the pretence that her father was calling her.
It is alleged that the next day, Robyn emerged alone from the bushes in Slangkop Street where Camron’s half-naked body was found hours later by her younger brother as mense searched for the missing teen.
LURED TO THE BUSH: Victim Camron Britz
The meisie had been raped anally and vaginally and was strangled to death with river weed, which was also shoved down her mouth.
The first witness to take the stand was Ivan Davids, a friend of Camron’s parents.
He said, he, Robyn, Camron and others were standing around a fire.
“He (the accused) came to stand by the fire and Camron was also there,” said Davids.
“She stood up and went to the huiswinkel which is between the flats. He left the fire and said he was going home.
“I watched as he walked and he made it halfway up the staircase and then stood between the two blokke. He shouted, ‘Camron, jou pa roep vir jou’.
“She was at the shop and when she walked off, she said to those sitting there, ‘Piering (her father’s nickname) roep vir my’.
TESTIFIED: Camron's parents Melwyn Robyn and Berenice Britz at court
“I looked to see where she was going and he didn’t go home or open a door, they (Robyn and Camron) walked through the flats.”
He said Robyn had a blue blanket wrapped around his body.
Camron’s dad, Melwyn Robyn, testified that the two families lived in the same block of flats known as Gail Place, and that he had not called his daughter that evening.
“I didn’t call her and usually the mother calls her. I never called her home,” the father said.
Herbst ended the day’s proceedings by stating that Robyn’s lawyer, Advocate Emile de Villiers, had indicated his client may make certain admissions, which are yet to be revealed.