Six accused to face charges including attempted murder and torture of 81-year-old resident
WELKOM – The court date has been set for the egregious incident involving the alleged assault of a frail 81-year-old victim at an old age home in Welkom.
The trial of the case against Lynette Brummer (64), Anna Fourie (73), Nomsa Ngcongwane (56), Prudence Majorobella (35), Mofolo Ntswaki (30), and Puseleletso Mola (33) has been set for trial in the Welkom Regional Court, starting 8 December.
State ready to proceed
The court heard on Friday 7 November that investigations have been completed and that the state is ready to proceed. The charges against the accused include attempted murder, torture, abuse, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and kidnapping of an 81-year-old woman at a frail care home in Welkom.
They are also facing charges under the Older Persons Act 13 of 2006.
Brummer (accused number 1) and her co-accused, supported by family and friends, sat silently in court whilst they heard that their case was progressing through the legal justice system.
Family seeks justice
Mariana Payne, daughter of victim Bettie Payne, sat stoically in the public gallery and was relieved when she heard that the case involving the alleged atrocities against her mother was gaining momentum.
According to testimony heard during the previous court sitting on 6 August, Brummer allegedly assaulted the frail victim. There was also mention of a voice note in which Brummer admits to the daughter of the victim that she had slapped her mother.
The alleged assault took place on 3 November 2024 at an old age home where the victim resides. The matter was reported to police by the victim’s daughter, who opened the case.
Welkom Magistrates’ Court has granted Lynette Brummer, accused number one, R5 000 bail, and the other accused bail of R1 000 each. The bail conditions remain in place and the bail was extended.
Bail conditions strict
Brummer was granted bail under strict terms. She may not go near the old age home, may not interfere with, intimidate, or have contact with witnesses, may not tamper with evidence or approach the victim in any way, and must maintain at least a 100-metre radius from the centre.
Upon paying bail, Brummer had six hours to hand in her passport. It was a concern of the state that she has a valid passport and that her son-in-law works and lives in America. Brummer may not apply for a new passport when the existing one expires in 2026.
Investigation timeline
The first four accused were arrested on 9 July, with two additional arrests following.
Vista began reporting when the gruesome acts came to light following the discovery of video camera footage captured on a camera placed in the victim’s room at the old age home. Staff were aware of the camera being there.
The video footage and photographs depict extreme verbal, mental, and physical abuse to which the elderly woman was subjected.
The victim was no match for the attendants at her bedside – sometimes up to four women at a time. The elderly woman was physically subdued and restrained with duct tape. Her mouth and hands were bound so that she could not move.
The emotional scenes in the video are exacerbated by photographs of extremely bruised hands, bleeding lips from the duct tape, and bruises, scratches, and scrapes to the face.
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