Jaco Swart: Abuser gets away with slap on the wrist for pummelling wife [video]

A court handed Jaco Swart a suspended sentence for beating his wife to a pulp.

By / / Viral
jaco swart nicoleen

AfriForum assisted Nicoleen Swart, the estranged wife of Jaco Swart, in getting a semblance of justice after enduring years of domestic abuse.

On Tuesday, after the case was initially struck off the roll, Nicoleen’s husband, Jaco, pleaded guilty to assault GBH and received an affordable R20 000 fine and a three-year prison sentence, suspended for five years.

Watch: Jaco Swart attacks on wife caught on CCTV

In a statement released by AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit spokesperson Barry Bateman, it took Nicoleen years to get to Tuesday’s ruling. The domestic violence victim turned to the lobby group after the case was thrown out of court for reasons not yet furnished.

After numerous engagements with the National Prosecuting Authority, a decision was reached to institute fresh charges against Swart. However, before the matter could be registered on the court’s roll, the abuser pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife.

In reflection, Bateman claimed Swart took the deal after he was informed, during the State’s evidence submission, that his brutal attacks on Nicoleen were caught on CCTV.

“AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit had hoped more was done to ensure the footage was admitted to the record, to allow the magistrate to view first-hand Swart’s violent conduct directed at his wife,” Bateman said.

Alas, the matter was concluded with the estranged wife forced to accept a bittersweet end to her pursuit of justice.

“I just want to encourage woman out there to stand up, there are people willing to listen, you have a voice,”

Video footage of the numerous occasions Swart attacked his wife leaked on social media. You can watch the clips below.

PLEASE NOTE: The video material embedded below contains graphic imagery that may be harmful and/or triggering to sensitive audiences. Viewers’ discretion is strongly advised.