Magistrate throws out Flippie assault case

The Flippie Engelbrecht case, in which it was alleged that a farmer and his manager had brutally beaten the boy in 2008, was dismissed yesterday.

Worcester Regional Court magistrate Ken Peters threw the case out due to unreliable testimony by Engelbrecht's parents and found Wilhelm Treurnicht not guilty of assault.

Flip and Katriena Engelbrecht alleged that Treurnicht and Johnny Burger assaulted their son, leaving him blind and epileptic, and said he later had his arms amputated after falling into a fire during a fit.

Burger commited suicide last year.