Former Springbok Coach Peter de Villiers Cleared As Sexual Assault Charges Dismissed

Former Springbok coach Peter “Snor” de Villiers has been cleared of sexual assault allegations after the Malmesbury Regional Court dismissed all charges against him.

The case, which included counts of attempted sexual assault, sexual assault, and crimen injuria, was struck down after his Section 174 application was granted. The decision came on Thursday, following a hearing held two weeks earlier.

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De Villiers’ attorney, Hennie le Roux, confirmed that the former coach pleaded not guilty to all charges.

“What the magistrate found was that the quality of the State’s case was questionable, and if Mr De Villiers had to come and testify in defence, it would’ve been a possibility that he would incriminate himself and supplement the shortfalls in the State’s case,” said Le Roux.

Magistrate Finds No Prima Facie Case

In delivering her ruling, the presiding magistrate highlighted weaknesses in the State’s evidence, ruling that placing De Villiers in the witness box would have violated his constitutional rights.

“The magistrate said in her ruling that putting De Villiers in the witness box and ‘supplementing this confused evidence presented by the State would have violated his constitutional rights,’” Le Roux explained.

The court found no prima facie proof linking De Villiers to the alleged offences. “The magistrate did justice. This means our constitution is still taken seriously by magistrates. Clearly, he [De Villiers] is innocent.

“The charge would have been absolutely politically motivated. The man’s life stood still for quite some time. He got vindication, that’s all that matters,” Le Roux added.

Fallout from Allegations and Political Impact

The accusations against De Villiers stemmed from an alleged incident on 30 January 2023, involving a member of the GOOD Party in Kalbaskraal, outside Malmesbury. He was accused of sexually assaulting her after dropping her home following an event.

At the time, De Villiers was serving as a member of the GOOD Party in Vredenburg. Following the allegations, the party revoked his membership and removed him from the Western Cape provincial legislature.

Le Roux said his client was relieved by the court’s decision, adding that the outcome had restored his reputation.

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