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Marli van Breda, the chief witness in the Stellenbosch axe murder case has amnesia
The 16-year-old was discharged from rehabilitation this past weekend, but has been unable to recall any events leading up to the attack.
“While she is reacting favourably to all the treatment she is receiving, she has retrograde amnesia. She cannot recall anything at all about the attack,” family spokesperson Ben Rootman said in a statement.
Retrograde amnesia is a loss of memory access to events that occurred before a traumatic event. Joburg-based Dr Malebo Mokotedi-Mapiloko says such a condition is common in patients who have been through a horrific experience.
Mokotedi-Mapiloko says brain therapy is the best way to try to trigger memory recall.
“There is no timeline for how long it could take for the memory to return. It also depends on the degree of the brain injury. These things take a while; such cases need patience,” she told DESTINY.
Van Breda is reported to have today returned to the family’s Stellenbosch home where the attack took place. Police and her legal representative accompanied her.
The teenager and her 20-year-old brother Henri were the only survivors of the 27 January attack on the family, which left their mother, father and 22-year-old brother Rudi dead.
Marli was found unconscious by Henri who then alerted the authorities. Henri sustained only minor injuries to his hands, while Marli suffered a fractured skull and extensive brain trauma. She was placed in a medically induced coma for several days and required neurosurgery.
“She is able to walk, communicates well and, surprisingly, given everything that has happened, has retained her sense of humour,” Rootman said this weekend. He has since stated that significant progress has been made towards solving this case.
Source: EWN
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