SA bids to get murder accused back from Brazil

SA authorities have begun a second attempt to bring murder accused and fugitive Gerhard Jansen van Vuuren back from Brazil. According to a Beeld report, Jansen van Vuuren was apprehended in Rio de Janeiro on Thursday. He fled the country four days before his murder trial was set to start in the Gauteng High Court (Johannesburg) in May 2013. Jansen van Vuuren allegedly murdered his ex-girlfriend, Andrea Venter, with a knuckle-duster and a knife outside her home in Fourways, Johannesburg, while CCTV footage captured her desperate attempt to run to security guards at the complex. Jansen van Vuuren then slit his own throat but survived the attempted suicide. The High Court granted him bail of R15 000 after months of failed attempts in the Magistrate’s Court. Jansen van Vuuren was arrested and sentenced in Brazil for having fake identity documents and trying to bribe a police officer. Although SA applied for his extradition, Brazilian authorities nevertheless released him from prison. Police spokesperson Vishnu Naidoo said SA had enlisted the help of Interpol. They expect Brazilian authorities to keep him in custody until the latest extradition request is completed.

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