'Robster' laid charges as a stunt - Els
1 December 2009, 10:20
By Zelda Venter
High Court Reporter
Robster the Monster probably fabricated the charges against Jurie Els as a publicity stunt for the World Cup in which he was due to appear as an artist, the Pretoria High Court heard yesterday.
This is the opinion of Els, who closed his case without calling any further witnesses in his sex trial.
It is now Els's word against that of former child star Robbie Klay, who is accusing Els of having sexually molested him from the age of 12 until he was 16. The parties will present final arguments tomorrow and Acting Judge Chris Eksteen has indicated he could deliver judgment by Friday.
Els conceded that he had sometimes called Klay "Robs". "He actually had a lovely nickname - "Robster the Monster", but I also called him Robs for short."
Els has vehemently denied he ever did anything wrong to Klay. He was asked by the State why Klay would humiliate himself and drag his "soul through hell" in court by testifying in crude detail about the alleged sex he had had with Els were it not true.
At first Els said it was about money, because Klay has admitted that a multimillion damages claim was pending against Els. He testified that before his marriage to former high jump champion Hestrie Cloete, he was a wealthy man. But when they got married and their assets were combined, they became wealthier.
Planning a claim against Klay
Els conceded that he, too, was planning a damages claim against Klay once the trial was over. "I am definitely going to take steps," Els told the court.
Prosecutor Corlie Bouwer said the State did not believe money had persuaded Klay to give false evidence. She said he had been grilled for eight days in open court. Els then reminded her that Klay had asked for the proceedings to be held behind closed doors.
He added that if Klay had known what was coming, he doubted that the 23-year-old would have gone ahead with his allegations. He said the questions by the defence had clearly exposed Klay as a liar.
"Why did he decide to deliver this evidence?" Bouwer persisted.
Els said it was possibly a ploy by Klay to gain publicity for the World Cup in South Africa. He said he and his wife had appeared on the cover of Huisgenoot about five times.
"It is a difficult thing to achieve. So Klay probably thought the sensation of this (the court case) would gain him publicity for the World Cup and he thought he would make a name for himself - both here and in the world."
Els said one of the things which got his attention when he saw the case docket for the first time were the words "by force" accompanying the sexual claims. Bouwer told him he could be glad the words "by blunt force" were not on the docket.
Els was adamant that Klay would not have got the publicity he had were it not for this case. "Up to now he has played the sympathy card," he said. Klay had time and again changed his story and "jumped around like a moving target".
Asked again by the State why he had stood by Klay all these years, in spite of Klay lying and threatening him, Els again said: "Because I promised him I would be a father to him, and a promise is a promise." This prompted the judge to say: "Don't repeat your qualities. The court has heard all about it before."
The State had put it to Els that Klay was between 12 and 16 at the time of the alleged activities, and that he could not consent to the sex which he claimed Els had with him.
Els responded: "I deny this.
"He was a little man (mannetjie), who stole his mother's car to visit his girlfriend, whom he impregnated. He followed his own head."
Asked by the judge whether he had ever appeared naked before Klay and whether the latter appeared naked before him, Els said: "No. I was shy about my body and Robbie was an extremely shy child."
High Court Reporter
Robster the Monster probably fabricated the charges against Jurie Els as a publicity stunt for the World Cup in which he was due to appear as an artist, the Pretoria High Court heard yesterday.
This is the opinion of Els, who closed his case without calling any further witnesses in his sex trial.
It is now Els's word against that of former child star Robbie Klay, who is accusing Els of having sexually molested him from the age of 12 until he was 16. The parties will present final arguments tomorrow and Acting Judge Chris Eksteen has indicated he could deliver judgment by Friday.
Els conceded that he had sometimes called Klay "Robs". "He actually had a lovely nickname - "Robster the Monster", but I also called him Robs for short."
Els has vehemently denied he ever did anything wrong to Klay. He was asked by the State why Klay would humiliate himself and drag his "soul through hell" in court by testifying in crude detail about the alleged sex he had had with Els were it not true.
At first Els said it was about money, because Klay has admitted that a multimillion damages claim was pending against Els. He testified that before his marriage to former high jump champion Hestrie Cloete, he was a wealthy man. But when they got married and their assets were combined, they became wealthier.
Planning a claim against Klay
Els conceded that he, too, was planning a damages claim against Klay once the trial was over. "I am definitely going to take steps," Els told the court.
Prosecutor Corlie Bouwer said the State did not believe money had persuaded Klay to give false evidence. She said he had been grilled for eight days in open court. Els then reminded her that Klay had asked for the proceedings to be held behind closed doors.
He added that if Klay had known what was coming, he doubted that the 23-year-old would have gone ahead with his allegations. He said the questions by the defence had clearly exposed Klay as a liar.
"Why did he decide to deliver this evidence?" Bouwer persisted.
Els said it was possibly a ploy by Klay to gain publicity for the World Cup in South Africa. He said he and his wife had appeared on the cover of Huisgenoot about five times.
"It is a difficult thing to achieve. So Klay probably thought the sensation of this (the court case) would gain him publicity for the World Cup and he thought he would make a name for himself - both here and in the world."
Els said one of the things which got his attention when he saw the case docket for the first time were the words "by force" accompanying the sexual claims. Bouwer told him he could be glad the words "by blunt force" were not on the docket.
Els was adamant that Klay would not have got the publicity he had were it not for this case. "Up to now he has played the sympathy card," he said. Klay had time and again changed his story and "jumped around like a moving target".
Asked again by the State why he had stood by Klay all these years, in spite of Klay lying and threatening him, Els again said: "Because I promised him I would be a father to him, and a promise is a promise." This prompted the judge to say: "Don't repeat your qualities. The court has heard all about it before."
The State had put it to Els that Klay was between 12 and 16 at the time of the alleged activities, and that he could not consent to the sex which he claimed Els had with him.
Els responded: "I deny this.
"He was a little man (mannetjie), who stole his mother's car to visit his girlfriend, whom he impregnated. He followed his own head."
Asked by the judge whether he had ever appeared naked before Klay and whether the latter appeared naked before him, Els said: "No. I was shy about my body and Robbie was an extremely shy child."
- This article was originally published on page 4 of The Pretoria News on December 01, 2009
Johannesburg
