Cape Town - The trial against the man who has been convicted of the murder of Tazne van Wyk has concluded. The State is calling for at least nine life sentences.
In October, the Western Cape High Court found Moehydian Pangaker, 57, guilty of 21 of the 27 charges against him.
The charges include eight counts of rape of children, sexual assault, sexual exploitation of children, several counts of assault on a child, kidnapping, incest, desecration of a corpse and absconding from parole.
While Pangaker maintained his innocence throughout the trial, Judge Alan Maher did not mince his words as he delivered his judgment.
He described Pangaker as a sexual predator who had a high sex drive and preyed on girls.
Tazne, from Connaught Estate, in Ravensmead, was last seen on February 7, 2020, after she left her home to buy a lollipop at a shop, a few metres from her home.
Her body was found in a stormwater drain, along the N1 highway in Worcester, 12 days later. Pangaker had pointed it out to police.
As sentencing arguments were under way in court, senior State advocate Lenro Badenhorst described Pangaker as a monster who could not be tolerated in a civilised community.
Badenhorst submitted to the court that Pangaker was a repetitive offence who indiscriminately targeted girls for his sexual pleasure and therefore his moral blameworthiness was high.
“The accused should be punished, with the most severe punishment possible, for his reprehensible actions. There are no reasonable prospects of rehabilitation for the accused.
“He is a danger to society and a long-term sentence would be an appropriate punishment for the offences. The chances to re-offend are very high. He has shown no remorse.”
Badenhorst argued there were no substantial and compelling circumstances to force the court to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentences. He asked the court to impose direct imprisonment for each of the charges.
Pangaker has a previous conviction.
In 2001, he kidnapped and killed his own child.
At the time, the Bellville Regional Court convicted and sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment for culpable homicide and kidnapping. He was also convicted on charges of child neglect.
Badenhorst asked the court to consider the trauma the kidnapping, rape, murder and desecration of Tazne’s body had on the community, which he described as traumatised.
“The community took the law into their hands and burnt down houses. There were rumours that the accused hid on the roof of a local school, the community stripped the roof of that school,” he said.
At the start of the trial, CCTV footage of the last time Tazne was seen alive was played in court.
The girl and Pangaker can be seen being dropped off by a vehicle along the N1 highway at a petrol station.
The pair walk off into the darkness and out of camera view.
The State believes these were the child’s last moments.
“The accused took away the life of an eight-year-old child who had her whole life in front of her, and left her family devastated. It is submitted that the accused showed no remorse or regret for his heinous actions
“After his arrest in Cradock, he was relaxed and, at some point, he was heard laughing aloud. Initially, he did not assist the police by revealing where the body was.
“His eventual revelation to the police about where the body was, was negated by the fact that he denied in court that he took the police to the scene,” Badenhorst said.
He said Pangaker caused tremendous trauma to the girl’s parents as they lived in uncertainty for days before her body was discovered.
“It is respectfully submitted that the accused is a monster who cannot be tolerated in a civilised community,” Badenhorst said.
Pangaker is due to be sentenced on February 14.
robin.francke@inl.co.za
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