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Johannesburg - The trial of the man dubbed the "Springs monster", and his wife, who are accused of the decade-long abuse of their five children, was postponed in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria due to an outstanding psychologist's report.
"It is five months later and nothing happened. There needs to be [action taken] immediately," Judge Eben Jordaan said on Monday.
Jordaan told the man's advocate, Anneke van Wyk, said that report must be finalised by Monday. If it isn't, the person responsible for it must appear before the court.
Jordaan postponed the matter to February 26.
At a previous court appearance in 2017, the wife testified that she had a difficult childhood. She said her mother chose her boyfriend over her.
She moved in with her sister when she was 11 years old and taught herself how to cut hair and do needlework.
She met her husband when they were 17 years old. He had already dropped out of school at the time.
When they got engaged, they stayed with his parents and moved out when his mother died.
Van Wyk asked if the woman agreed that her husband had also suffered a bad childhood, but she said "no".
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The pair have pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of their 13-year-old son, attempted obstruction of justice, five charges of child abuse, five counts of child neglect, two charges of breaking the Schools Act, showing pornographic material to their eldest daughter when she was still under 18, and using and distributing crystal methamphetamine.
The husband pleaded not guilty to 21 charges, including the abuse and rape of his oldest daughter.
He, however, pleaded guilty to allegations that he stopped the police from doing their work when they searched for one of his children in May 2014.
