Amputee Flippie Engelbrecht and his family approached the Western Cape High Court to seek legal representation.
|||Cape Town - Amputee Flippie Engelbrecht and his family approached the Western Cape High Court to seek legal representation on Thursday.
Engelbrecht is going to sue for damages in a civil case against a Boland farmer and manager he accuses of assaulting him in January 2008.
He is also preparing for a criminal case, represented by the National Prosecuting Authority, against the two men in the Ashton Regional Court next Wednesday.
Engelbrecht has been blind for five years - since having to have surgery following the alleged assault. He also became epileptic.
He lost his hands after he had an epileptic seizure and rolled into an open fire. Severe burns made it necessary for doctors to amputate his hands.
“I am not angry at him (the farmer). I won’t be able to see him, but he must see the damages he has done to me,” Engelbrecht said outside the court on Thursday.
The family and their legal adviser, Carina Papenfus, made an application for legal representation in a separate civil matter.
Papenfus said the Western Cape High Court had instructed a leading law firm in Cape Town to represent Engelbrecht in his civil case. The firm has yet to receive correspondence from the court.
Papenfus also said the chairman of the Cape Bar had been instructed to appoint a senior advocate to represent him.
“I came to Cape Town for help with my case. I wanted lawyers and advocates and I got help from the court. I am satisfied. I am going to fight for all the farm children that have been assaulted. I am going to get justice,” he said.
Papenfus said the firm of attorneys was one of the strongest in the province.
“I am glad that we have attorneys from a big firm,” she said.
“We have been approached by many law firms and the support from everyone has been overwhelming.”
Papenfus said that as soon as a lawyer was appointed civil claims would be explored.
Outside the court Engelbrecht’s mother, Katrina, said: “We are glad that we got help from the court. I hope that everything will work out for my son.”
jason.felix@inl.co.za
Cape Times