Lynn Williams
As the Krisley Dirker murder trial entered its second day on Wednesday, harrowing accounts from witnesses who observed the toddler shortly before her death came to light in the Gqeberha High Court.
The girl’s mother and her stepfather, Robin and Kristen Clarke have been charged with her murder.
Krisley died in the Livingstone Hospital on 17 October 2013, seven days after she had been admitted and slipped into a coma.
The State alleges that her death was caused by a prolonged cycle of abuse, and that the Clarke’s failed to provide her with the necessary medical attention.
One state witness, Monty Uren, battled to bite back tears as he recalled seeing Krisley’s body riddled with bruises, about a week before her death.
He testified that the Clarke’s showed up at his home to collect something from his wife, Karen, and that he had gone to greet them where they were seated in their car.
Visibly emotional, he described what he saw as “horrible” and added that the bruises he saw on a child of such a young age could only have come from being assaulted.
According to Uren, seeing Krisley in such a state took him back to his childhood days in the orphanage, where his brother was the victim of many assaults.
He testified that the injuries on Krisley bothered him to such an extent that he contacted her grandmother, and informed her that he was going to lay a charge at the police station.
Uren later assisted Krisley’s grandmother by taking her to the Kabega Park police station to lay a charge.
Kristen’s attorney, Advocate Johan van der Spuy told Uren that according to his client, the injuries he testified about did not exist.
In reaction to Kristen’s denial, Uren said it was “a blatant lie”.
Karen, who was also present on the day said when she looked at Krisley in the car she got “the shock of her life” because what she saw was “horrific”.
According to Karen, Kristen told her that Krisley had fallen at her grandmother’s house, but that she had been taken to see a doctor.
Karen said she reached into the car, touched Krisley’s feet, and asked her if she was “eina”.
Krisley responded by uttering the word “eina”, according to Karen’s testimony.
Karen further testified that she gets flashbacks of seeing Krisley in such a state to this day and that she could not bring herself to attend her funeral having been too traumatised.
During cross-examination by Van der Spuy he told the witness that Kristen will deny that she was at the Uren household with Robin and Krisley.
In turn, Karen asked Van der Spuy what she stood to gain from lying and going through so much trauma in the witness box.
“I am seeking justice for a little girl that no longer has a voice,” she said.
When the trial ended for the day on Wednesday, one of Robin’s neighbours, who described him as a “menace” was still in the witness box.
The trial continues.
