‘Gay ghosts’ defence fails in Keetmans murder trial
A Namibian man has been found guilty of murder and attempted murder after a High Court judge rejected his defense that he acted under the influence of a sleep disorder. The court prioritized eyewitness testimony over psychiatric claims that the defendant was not criminally liable for the 2020 stabbing of his partner and daughter.
Why it matters
This case illustrates the legal challenges surrounding the use of psychiatric defenses in violent crime trials.
A claim by a Keetmanshoop resident who said he tried to defend himself against a homosexual person in his sleep, only to realise he had fatally stabbed his girlfriend, has failed to convince a High Court judge to acquit the man of murder.
In a judgement delivered in the High Court at Windhoek Correctional Facility on Friday, judge Dinnah Usiku found murder accused Johannes Claasen (39) guilty on charges of murder, attempted murder and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
Usiku said in her view, the testimony of an eyewitness who saw Claasen stabbing his baby daughter would carry more weight than the opinion of a psychiatrist who told the court Claasen had a condition known as “rapid eye movement sleep disorder with automatism” when he carried out the stabbing.
The psychiatrist concluded that Claasen could not be held accountable for his alleged actions.
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