This is becoming an all too familiar headline these days, another example of the legal wheels turning far too slowly for the liking of many.

Last month we told you about the horrible case of Roelof du Toit (HERE), who walked free because the state completely bungled the prosecution.

That one flew somewhat under the radar, but the trial of those accused of the murder of Franziska Blöchliger has been well covered.

Let’s just see why today saw another postponement, with this below from TimesLive:

Unavailable cellphone evidence has delayed the Franziska Blöchliger murder case for more than a month.

Four men accused of murdering‚ raping and robbing the teenager appeared in the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court in Cape Town on Friday.

The prosecution told the court that the police investigation was almost complete barring one “time-consuming aspect” – cellphone evidence.

The court heard that the state needed to obtain evidence involving cellphone mapping from Pretoria‚ which would take about six weeks‚ in order to bolster its case against Howard Oliver‚ Jerome Moses‚ Jonathan Jonas and Daniel Easter.

I think we all understand that the state’s resources are stretched, this has been the case for years, but it is still frustrating to know that some of the men who allegedly did this are out on a few grand’s bail walking the street.

A few things to consider:

The four accused chatted in the dock and seemed unfazed by the gravity of the charges they face…

Sixteen-year-old Franziska was attacked on March 7 while jogging in lower Tokai Park. Police used the signal from her stolen iPhone to round up the suspects within 36 hours. Grisly details of her killing emerged during Moses and Easter’s bail hearing last month.

The state revealed that Franziska died of suffocation and strangulation. Her face was forced into the ground‚ sand was found in her mouth and throat. She had been raped.

The four are facing murder‚ rape and robbery charges. Moses‚ the son of a warder at Pollsmoor Prison‚ previously told the bail court that one of his co-accused had asked him to help find a buyer for a cellphone.

He did not care about where it came from because he wanted money for drugs. Easter‚ the cellphone dealer who bought the phone‚ denied any involvement in the robbery‚ murder and rape.

If the State insists on taking their time then they best have what’s necessary to put the people behind the murder away for a long, long time.

[source:timeslive]