Mother blames trauma for son's murder

"I am not sick, I do not have a disorder. I am simply traumatised by my past and what I went through," a visibly distraught Vapeni Boois (36), accused of murdering her toddler son, told a High Court judge this week.Boois, a former police officer, was testifying before judge Philanda Christiaan on Monday. The accused, who had previously contested a psychiatric report declaring her fit to stand trial, claimed the document was forged.Boois appeared visibly upset in court on Monday and vehemently denied having any disorder.The accused referred to her past experiences in court, which include allegations of rape against her son&#039;s father, whom she described as a criminal and a notorious gang member.Boois also claimed that she had been harassed and bullied by her colleagues during her tenure as a police officer from 2016 to 2019.Boois, who stands accused of stabbing her one-year-old son, Amare Boois, 15 times with a knife in January 2023, was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, according to a psychiatric report.Dr Hilen Ndjaba, a psychiatrist at Windhoek Central Hospital&#039;s psychiatric unit and a member of the three-person team that evaluated Boois, explained in court that she had cooperated but was occasionally intensely moody during her 30-day assessment.‘Neglected, unwanted, helpless’Ndjaba, who testified in court about the findings of Boois&#039;s psychiatric report, said Boois showed no signs of psychosis, hallucinations or mania.&#039;I found her to be depressed: she felt neglected, unwanted and helpless. During our sessions, she expressed that her desire was to end both her life and that of her now-late son to escape their suffering,&#039; she explained. Boois reportedly attempted to take her own life by jumping off a bridge and cutting her wrists, shortly after her son’s death. The psychiatrist explained that individuals with borderline personality disorder struggle to control their thoughts and emotions and often experience persistent depression."Boois was aware of what she was doing, and we believe she is responsible for what she did."She is charged with murder and obstruction of justice.Regarding the charge of obstruction of justice, the State argues that Boois buried her son’s body in a shallow grave near Bethanie and burned clothes and other items to destroy evidence in order to obstruct the police investigation into her son&#039;s murder.– rita@nmh-hub.com.na

Mother blames trauma for son's murder

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-04-03

Please login to leave a comment

Mother blames trauma for son's murder

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-04-03

Please login to leave a comment

Login