The State has been instructed to oppose bail for the parents of Olivia van Voeght, who drowned in a vlei in Cape Town.
|||Cape Town - The director of public prosecutions has instructed the State to oppose bail for the parents of three-year-old Olivia van Voeght who was found dead in a vlei in Lotus River last week.
Olivia’s parents - Elizabeth van Voeght, 45, and Abraham Draghoender, 47 - appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday for the second time since their arrest last Wednesday.
They are alleged to have contravened the Children’s Act and have been charged with child neglect.
They were taken in for questioning the day after the little girl was reported missing.
Olivia was last seen alive at her Lotus River home at about 7pm last Tuesday. She was wearing a pink cap, a pair of brown trousers and blue slippers.
It is alleged that on that day, Elizabeth van Voeght was out drinking alcohol at a friend’s place. She had her daughter with her. The little girl apparently fell asleep.
Draghoender had then allegedly taken the sleeping Olivia home and left her there. Van Voeght allegedly continued drinking.
The next day, the couple realised Olivia was missing, and a large-scale police and community search ensued.
Olivia was discovered after police in a helicopter spotted the body of a little girl floating in Zeekoevlei.
Prosecutor Charlean Olivier-Manuel said in court on Tuesday that the director of public prosecutions had instructed that bail be opposed based on the seriousness of the offence.
Also, the case docket had to be sent to the director of public prosecutions after the couple appeared in court on Tuesday, she said.
According to the preliminary post-mortem report, Olivia drowned.
Her parents spent the weekend behind bars and are to remain in custody at Pollsmoor Prison for two weeks.
Their Legal Aid South Africa lawyer, Clint Coleridge, said his clients wanted to apply for bail.
One of Van Voeght’s daughters, Megan van Voeght, 19, who looked after Olivia during the day, broke down after seeing her mother in court.
Megan did not want to speak to the media.
Van Voeght has two other daughters, Dora Jumat, 28, who is married, and Shannon, 14, who lives with an aunt.
The couple are due back in court on August 23.
jade.otto@inl.co.za
Cape Argus