Valentine's Day date in court for 'remorseless wife-beater' Alexi Bizos

Alexi Bizos, who attacked his then wife Monique van Oosterhout in 2015 and left her with six broken ribs, will be sentenced on February 14.

Bizos, the son of the late struggle stalwart and lawyer George Bizos, was convicted in July last year of assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm. 

AfriForum’s private prosecution unit announced in 2018 that it would privately prosecute the case after the National Prosecuting Authority declined to prosecute Bizos. The trial eventually started in January 2020, culminating in the conviction last year. 

Gerrie Nel, head of the AfriForum unit, told the court during sentencing proceedings on Wednesday that a prison sentence was the only appropriate punishment for “a remorseless wife-beater who taunted his victim and then tried to convince the court that he was in fact the victim”. 

AfriForum reported that Nel argued that the justice system had failed Van Oosterhout.

“Despite the lip service paid to the fight against gender-based violence and strengthened legislation to deal with this societal scourge, and even a yearly period of action and reflection on gender-based violence, the criminal justice system has failed victims in general and this victim in particular. She had to resort to private prosecution to get justice,” he said. 

Nel told the court Bizos’ lack of remorse called for severe punishment.

“A fine would create a lottery for assault. How many ribs for a R10,000 fine? How much will it cost me to silence my wife that is wasting my time?

“A suspended sentence in this instance would be shockingly inappropriate and will elevate the interests of the accused above that of the victim and society.”

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