Johannesburg – The wife of the man accused of abusing her and their five children and holding them captive appeared in the Springs Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, Beeld reported.

The matter was postponed to 1 July for a formal bail application, according to the report.

She was arrested for defeating the ends of justice on Monday when she decided not to co-operate with police and reportedly refused to testify against her husband.

Magistrate Roy le Roux told the woman she was the second accused in the case.

In addition to defeating the ends of justice she faces the same charges as her husband – attempted murder, child abuse, and assault.

The woman’s 36-year-old husband, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his family members, was arrested last month after allegedly assaulting his wife and five children and keeping them captive.

He was denied bail by the court earlier this month. His case was postponed to 25 July.

The man was arrested in May after his badly beaten 11-year-old son fled the family’s house in Springs and ran to a neighbour to beg for help. The neighbour called police.

The man allegedly kept his wife and five children, aged between two and 16, captive in the house for several years and assaulted them.

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