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Pretoria - An occult crime specialist and a psychologist will interview a teenager who admitted to hacking four of his family members to death with an axe, but claimed he was possessed by a demon at the time.
Judge Hennie de Vos on Monday postponed the trial in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria of the teenager, now 16, until Tuesday.
This was so a social worker could consult his aunt, his guardian, and the defence and prosecution.
The social worker is expected to give evidence on Tuesday.
Prosecutor Marika Jansen van Vuuren told the court Kobus Jonker, an occult expert and sociologist, wanted to consult the accused and study the defence's expert reports before he could give an informed opinion.
Lana Augustyn, for the boy, said she would seek a postponement for a psychological report.
Such a report would help the court decide on a sentence for the boy, who was 14 when he committed the crimes, she said.
In August last year the teenager pleaded guilty in the high court sitting in Delmas to four murders. He admitted attacking his mother, 42, grandmother, 58, 5-year-old brother, and 4-month-old baby sister with an axe. His grandmother survived, but died later in hospital.
The boy was presently incarcerated in a place of safety.
According to his plea explanation he and a friend had researched Satanism on the internet out of curiosity some time before the murders.
"We came across a ritual that we followed. The ritual was to burn three black candles while covering ourselves with a red cloth.
"While covered with the cloth we had to praise the devil and tell him that we loved him. We followed this ritual approximately three days prior to the day of the incident.
"On 23 May 2013 during the afternoon, I spent my time visiting my two friends. We smoked dagga during the afternoon. The dagga made me feel high."
He came home around 20:30 that evening.
‘Kill them, kill them’
"When it was very late I started to feel not like my usual self. There was a noise in my head and a voice calling out 'kill them, kill them'.
"When I looked at my family I saw them as if they were covered in blood. I took the axe that was in my bedroom. I attacked my mother with the axe. She opened the door and ran outside in an attempt to get away from me.
"I followed her and when she fell under the tree I hit her several times with the axe. I then went to the room where my younger brother was sleeping. I also hit him with the axe."
He found his grandmother in the toilet and attacked her as well.
"I remembered that my grandmother begged me not to do it, but I continued to hit her with the axe. After I hit my grandmother with the axe I noticed the twins.
"They ran away and I think they called the uncles from across the street to come and help my family and stop me from killing them.
"I realised that the men wanted to stop me. I also realised that if they catch me the community would kill me because I killed my family members.
"I took the baby and ran with her towards the veld where I also hit her with the axe. The noises were no longer in my head and I was scared."
He said he hid in an abandoned room and wanted to kill himself, but could not do it.
"I was severely assaulted and injured by the community until the police arrived and arrested me. I believe that due to the influence the dagga had on me, I felt as if I was possessed by a demon who told me to kill my family.
"I felt huge anger in me during this incident,"
the boy said.
