Action Society demands an urgent senior-level review of the National Prosecuting Authority’s reported decision to withdraw charges against Jacques Pretorius on Monday, 5 October, the day his trial for the alleged murder of Sheri-Ann Jacobs was scheduled to begin in the Cape Town High Court. After almost five years of waiting, her family now faces the prospect of the prosecution collapsing before the evidence is tested at trial.
Sheri-Ann’s father has informed Action Society that the NPA told him the charges would be withdrawn because the State pathologist is no longer prepared to state that the cause of death was strangulation and is unwilling to testify against the defence’s expert witness.
“This family has waited almost five years for answers. They endured years of investigation, delays in obtaining toxicology results and the agonising wait for a trial. Now, at the very moment the case should be heard, they are told the charges will be withdrawn. The NPA owes them an apology for this ordeal and an urgent review of the decision to abandon the prosecution,” says Juanita du Preez, spokesperson for Action Society.
Sheri-Ann died on 20 November 2021, shortly after marrying Pretorius. Her death was initially investigated as a suspected suicide and inquest matter, while her family maintained that the scene had been staged.
In March 2025, Pretorius was arrested and charged after new forensic evidence reportedly supported the conclusion that Sheri-Ann had been strangled and the scene staged. He faces charges including premeditated murder and defeating the ends of justice.
Action Society is demanding clarity on what has changed in the forensic assessment since those charges were brought, why the issue is only now threatening the prosecution, and whether an independent forensic review has been obtained.
“A defence expert’s opposing opinion must not intimidate the NPA into abandoning a prosecution. Prosecutors must scrutinise the evidence, prepare their witnesses and establish whether the case can proceed. If the State’s medical opinion has changed, we need to know what changed, why it changed and whether another qualified expert has independently assessed the findings,” says Du Preez.
Action Society calls on the NPA to ensure that a senior prosecutor urgently reviews the complete docket, the original and revised forensic opinions, and the remaining evidence before the planned withdrawal. This review must establish whether every reasonable avenue to resolve the conflicting expert opinions and pursue the prosecution has been exhausted.
“The State brought these charges. It must account for the evidence on which it relied and explain why that evidence is now considered insufficient. Sheri-Ann’s family cannot be left to carry the consequences of unanswered forensic questions after years of waiting,” says Du Preez.
“Sheri-Ann’s life mattered. Her family’s demand for answers matters. Action Society demands a prosecution service willing to do the difficult work required to pursue justice, and to account fully when a case reaches the brink of collapse.”
Soundbite:
