The State’s case against Danish citizen, Peter Frederiksen, boils down to only two aspects, the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court heard on Tuesday.
The court heard a renewed bail application by Frederiksen, after it agreed to the new application. His legal counsel says the first aspect was that he was not authorised to do female circumcisions or genital piercings, and that he did not do it in a safe environment.
Frederiksen faces various charges related to the remains of female genitalia found in a locked freezer in his house in Langenhovenpark, Bloemfontein.
His legal counsel, Deon Pool, argued that with the indictment and docket in the defence’s possession the case looks somewhat different from what the court heard during the first bail application. Pool submitted that although female circumcision is not accepted in parts of South Africa, it is an ongoing practice. He further argued that genital piercings were equally offensive for some but embraced by others in society.
Pool argued that the State does not have a good enough case against Frederiksen to keep him in custody.
Earlier, investigator Lynda Steyn testified, for the State, that Frederiksen was a flight risk to Lesotho, where he is apparently well connected. The bail hearing was postponed to 29 August, for the defence to supply documents to be considered in the application. – André Grobler