Camp owner admits he failed to get teen medical attention

A Vereeniging camp owner accused of beating one of his teenage charges to death has admitted he failed to get the boy the medical attention he needed.

On Friday Echo Wild Game Rangers training centre owner, Alex de Koker, was testifying in his defence in the Vereeniging Regional Court, where he stands accused of murdering 15-year-old Raymond Buys.

His former employee Michael Erasmus, 21, is facing the same charges as De Koker, which include assault with the intention to inflict grievous bodily harm and child abuse and neglect, following the death of Buys in April 2011.

They have pleaded not guilty.

During cross-examination by Erasmus's lawyer, JH Smit, on Friday De Koker conceded that he was "guilty" and "unwise" in his decision not to take the teenager to see a doctor, especially after he observed injuries and ailments, including what he believed were epileptic fits.

Months before his death, in January 2011, Buys’s parents had sent him to the training camp for troubled youths. He had learning difficulties and was described by De Koker as a “problem child”.

On Thursday De Koker testified that the 15-year-old refused to eat properly, often soiled his himself and exhibited other “abnormal” behaviour, including injuring himself.

De Koker said that while some of Buys’ injuries were self-inflicted, he believed someone else had given him a severe blow to his head.

Buys was admitted to hospital in a critical condition on March 24 2011 after he sustained severe injuries to his head, hands and feet, among others. He was declared brain dead at the time of his death.

Erasmus's lawyer grilled De Koker on why he failed to take Buys to a doctor. De Koker responded that he did not do so because of the teen’s "attitude" of putting up a fight when threatened with a doctor’s visit.

Smit also highlighted discrepancies between statements De Koker made in court at his bail hearing in 2011 and his testimony.

"My fight with you is that you're not honest," Smit said, to which De Koker replied that he was under pressure at the bail hearing and would have "told any lies" to get bail.

De Koker previously told the court that when he arrived at his farm, Buys was not healthy. Yesterday, De Koker clarified that Buys wasn't ill when he arrived at his farm and that his previous statement was misunderstood. What he meant by "not healthy" was that Buys struggled to perform certain physical activities, like running.

Smit also portrayed Erasmus, who left school in grade eight, as someone of low intelligence who feared De Koker.

Smit will continue questioning De Koker when the case continues on Monday.