Man convicted after claiming ‘gay ghosts’ tricked him into stabbing girlfriend and baby
Judge in courtroom (Envato, Stock)
A Namibian man who claimed that “gay ghosts” caused him to stab his girlfriend and baby daughter has been found guilty of murder, attempted murder and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
Johannes Claasen, 39, told Namibia’s High Court in Windhoek Correctional Facility that he was defending himself from two men who appeared beside him in bed in the early hours of Christmas Day in 2020.
According to The Namibian, Claasen said the men were gay and that one of them propositioned him for sex. He claimed he tried to fight them off but later “came to his senses” and found himself holding a large knife.
Classen said he then realised he had stabbed his girlfriend, 28-year-old Rolinda Lamberth, and their 11-month-old daughter. The two “gay ghosts” had disappeared at that point, Claasen claimed.
The court did not accept that account.
A psychiatrist who testified for the defence said Claasen had rapid eye movement sleep disorder with automatism, also known as REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD). The condition can cause people to physically act out their dreams, including behaviours such as punching, shouting, flailing or jumping from bed.
The psychiatrist argued that Claasen’s condition meant he could not be held responsible for the attacks.
Why did the judge reject the defence evidence?
Judge Dinnah Usiku said she had doubts about the psychiatrist’s evidence and instead relied heavily on the testimony of Claasen’s older daughter, who was seven years old when the stabbing occurred.
The child told the court that she had seen Claasen lift the mattress, take out a knife and put it beneath his pillow before the attack. She did not see him stab Lamberth, but said she heard a noise which woke her and saw him stabbing her baby sister.
The baby survived the attack.
The older daughter also testified that she had previously seen Claasen chase Lamberth with a knife and assault her, including an incident that left Lamberth with a swollen eye.
Three witnesses told the court that the couple’s relationship had a history of threats and physical violence. The judge also found that Claasen had distrusted Lamberth because of her previous relationship with the father of her older daughter.
Before the trial, mental health professionals had assessed Claasen as competent to stand trial and potentially criminally liable for his actions.
What happens next in the case?
Claassen’s judgement was delivered by Usiku on Friday (2 October). He was found guilty of murder, attempted murder and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm. He is due to attend a pre-sentencing hearing on 21 October.
The defence’s “gay ghosts” explanation resembles a broader form of the so-called gay panic defence, in which defendants argue that a queer person’s real or perceived sexual advance triggered a violent reaction. Such arguments have been widely criticised for shifting blame onto LGBTQ+ victims, and a number of US states have moved to prohibit their use in criminal trials.
In Claasen’s case, however, the court rejected both the supernatural explanation and the argument that his sleep disorder excused his actions.
