Cape Town - Danielle Janse Van Rensburg, the young woman who started dating convicted axe murderer Henri Van Breda a year while he was on trial for the murder of three members of his family says his murder conviction was a gross miscarriage of justice.
Breaking her silence in a television interview with 60 Minutes Australia, Janse Van Rensburg attempted to dispel some of the "myths" around the young man who brutally murdered his mother, father, and older brother.
Janse Van Rensburg said allegations that Henri was a habitual drug user, and that his drug of choice was tik, were untrue, as were allegations that the 23-year-old was emotionless throughout the trial.
Henri is not the cold-blooded killer portrayed by the prosecution and the media but is himself a victim, his girlfriend said in the interview.
EXTRA #60Mins| Henri van Breda's drug taking history, watching an axe murdering documentary on the night of the attack, and falling asleep in court during sentencing. - Danielle Janse Van Rensburg responds to all the myths surrounding Henri's murder trial. pic.twitter.com/88m5MqbgGs
— 60 Minutes Australia (@60Mins) July 30, 2018
Janse Van Rensburg says evidence presented around audio recordings of Henri's calls to an emergency dispatcher on the morning after the murders profoundly affected the couple.
Henri's younger sister Marli, who was severely injured in the attack at the family's home on the luxurious De Zalze Golf Estate, suffers from retrograde amnesia and is unable to recall the tragedy. The Western Cape High Court will on Tuesday rule on an application regarding Marli's curatorship. Advocate Louise Buikman was appointed by the court to oversee the young woman's affairs shortly after the death of her parents Martin and Theresa.