Child neglect charges against Orderick Lucas's family postponed in court
In a court appearance, the mother and grandparents of slain Orderick Lucas, a toddler who was murdered, face charges of child neglect as the case unfolds.
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The mother and grandparents of slain toddler Orderick Lucas made a brief appearance in the Blue Downs Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, where the case was postponed to June 23 for a new Legal Aid attorney to be appointed.
Grandmother Cornelia Scheepers, grandfather Devon Scheepers and mother of the slain 18-month-old have already each entered a guilty plea to the court.
The court on Tuesday also heard that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has been approached for the possibility of amending a charge relating to one of the accused.
At this stage it is unclear to which accused the amended charge pertains.
Enquiries to the National Prosecuting Authority are yet to be answered.
The three remain out on warning.
The case against the trio comes as Melvin Volkwyn was convicted and sentenced for the murder on September 28, 2021.
Volkwyn is currently serving his 20 year imprisonment for his role in the murder of Orderick.
Lucas did not have legal custody of any of her four children at the time of Orderick's disappearance.
The one-year-old went missing on March 25, 2019.
His decomposed body was found in a stormwater drain by a group of children playing with a ball eight days later.
At the time, Orderick and his two siblings were placed in the care of the grandparents following an order of a Children’s Court.
The placement of the siblings into foster care followed an investigation into the domestic circumstances of the Lucas household.
Although expressly forbidden by the court order, the children occasionally spent weekends with Davedine instead of residing with their grandparents .