Cape Town – The Brand murder case clearly demonstrates the urgency with which South Africa’s DNA backlog crisis – which at the last known date was standing at 200 000 DNA case exhibits – has to be addressed, says Annette van Wyk, a DA councillor at Phokwane Municipality.
On the evening of July 27, Elzabe's body was found in a field about 25km away from their farm. Her parents' bodies were found in shallow graves in the early hours of July 28, about a kilometre away from where Elzabe was found. Yet, the National Forensic Science Laboratory is apparently only now busy with the DNA exhibits from the triple-murder case. This came to light in the Hartswater Magistrate’ Court today, where the trial had to be postponed until August 12 due to the outstanding DNA results, said Van Wyk.
’’DNA results should instead be used as a real-time tool, to speed up the drawn-out processes of the justice system, so that criminals can get their deserved sentences, while all those affected by crime can also get closure as soon as possible.