A judge ruled today that English businessman Shrien Dewani, who is thought to have had a hand in the death of his wife Anni, will be extradited to Cape Town, South Africa to face charges.
Dewani allegedly plotted to have his wife killed while the couple was on their honeymoon in South Africa. The plot is said to have involved a hitman that was hired to murder Dewani’s wife during a fake car jacking.
His extradition had been halted for two years as his legal team fought the original order. The team claims that Dewani was not in the proper mental state to be sent back to South Africa. They claim that he suffers from post-traumatic stress, depression, and is a suicide risk. The threat of extradition, the defense claims, impeded his recovery and even worsened his condition.
Although the judge ordered that Dewani be extradited, he was also sensitive to his mental stability. Dewani will receive treatment at a Cape Town hospital and will only go on trial when deemed fit, which may be some time.
Anni’s family was relieved by the news, but they know that no court order can bring back what they have lost. Anni’s sister, Ami Denborg has this to say about the decision:
“For us it is all about Anni, it’s all about finding out what happened. We will fight this battle to the end and this battle has just begun. We just want to know what happened to Anni and this is just one step. It’s been really hard on the family, we are struggling every day.”
Dewani’s family announced that they will appeal the ruling, so there appears to be no foreseeable end to the saga and no answers for the family of the victim.