Four men accused of murdering teenager Franziska Blöchliger are due to appear at the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

The group is facing charges of murder, rape and robbery with aggravating circumstances.

A post-mortem found that Franziska, 16, was strangled and suffocated and had sustained blunt-force trauma when she was attacked in Tokai Forest on March 7.

Sand was found in her throat and she had been raped vaginally and anally.

She had arranged to meet her mother after going jogging in the popular recreational area by herself.

When Franziska did not arrive at the agreed meeting place, the family began to worry.

Her body was found during a search.

Most heinous murder in judge’s career

She had been robbed of her iPhone, watch, headset and diamond ring.

Prosecutor Kepler Uys said the accused were linked to the crime by witnesses and were found in possession of her belongings.

During their first bail appearance Magistrate Hafiza Mohamed said the teenager’s murder was the most heinous she had seen in her entire career.

She was speaking during the bail hearing of two of the men accused of the teen’s murder.

She said despite the brutality of the incident the State’s case against the two was weak.

Close family friends and loved ones gasped when Mohamed granted Jerome Moses and Daniel Easter bail.

Moses was released on R2 000 bail and Easter on R1 000.

Outside the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court those who attended proceedings said they were disgusted that the two would “be let back on to the streets”.

The bail application for the other accused was expected to continue on Friday.

[Source: News24]