The son of the late human rights lawyer, Advocate George Bizos, has been found guilty of assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm after punching his wife nine years ago.
Alexi Bizos appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrates' Court on Friday, where he was convicted.
The conviction comes after his wife, Monique van Oosterhout, approached Afriforum‘s Private Prosecution Unit when the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) failed to prosecute him.
During the attack at their Joburg home in 2015, Van Oosterhout was left with six broken ribs.
Speaking after the conviction, Van Oosterhout said she would never have had the opportunity to tell her story if it weren’t for AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit.
“This is not just justice for my case, but justice for every single woman who has been abused, accused, shamed and blamed. This should not be happening. I am also very keenly aware that if AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit had not taken up my case when I asked them for legal advice, we would not be here,” she said.
Meanwhile, AfriForum‘s spokesperson, Barry Bateman, said the prosecution unit will continue its fight to ensure nobody is above the law.
“This conviction exposes the NPA’s selective prosecution and vindicates our belief that the decision not to prosecute Bizos was because of his relationship to the well-known George Bizos,” he said.
In court, Bateman said the magistrate found that Bizos was a poor witness and evasive, adding that his testimony was littered with inconsistencies.
“The court also rejected his claim that he was in fact the victim and was acting in self-defence. On the other hand, the court found Van Oosterhout to be a good witness who painted a logical and clear picture of what happened.”
The matter was postponed to August 23 for sentencing argument.
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