The police system was to blame for former police officer Marius van der Westhuizen killing his three children, the Western Cape High Court heard on Monday.

The incident could have been avoided if police officials were trained in how to deal with severe stress, defence attorney Milton de la Harpe told the court.

Judge Willem Louw reminded De la Harpe on Monday that Van der Westhuizen did request and receive psychotherapy prior to the triple murder.

Van der Westhuizen, former officer in command at the charge office at the Claremont police station is to be sentenced on Thursday for the murder of his three children.

Two were from his marriage to his present wife Charlotte and one was from a previous marriage.

According to the evidence, Van Der Westhuizen had had previous episodes of depression and had been booked off work twice, the judge said.

Depressive personality

De la Harpe said van der Westhuizen had been diagnosed as having a depressive personality, and was a “pleaser” – always anxious to assist others.

The policeman was also regarded by his subordinates as a perfectionist, and someone who would “rather die than not go to work”.

At the time of the shooting, he was mentally disturbed, De la Harpe said.

De la Harpe said police policy was that if a police official was in need of help, such as psychotherapy, he had to seek such assistance himself.

De la Harpe said the kind of incident concerned would happen again unless the police system was changed to take care of police officials having to face stressful situations.

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