What happens when a criminal case is built not on physical evidence — but on memory?

In this episode of Profiler Africa, co-hosts Paul Llewellyn and forensic psychologist Gerard Labuschagne examine recovered memories and their use in criminal prosecutions.

The discussion explores how memory functions, why it is inherently unreliable, and how therapy — when poorly conducted — can unintentionally create false or contaminated memories. Drawing on South African case experience and international forensic standards, the episode explains why recovered memories are treated with caution in many courts — and what happens when that caution is ignored.

This episode is not about disbelief.
It is about evidence, due process, and preventing injustice on all sides.

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🌍 plotshift.co.za

In 2022, a 13-year-old boy was murdered in Klawer after stealing fruit from a garden.

The man responsible, Daniel Hugo Smit, chased the child in his vehicle, abducted him, and killed him. Claims of occult influence and diminished responsibility were rejected by the court, which sentenced Smit to life imprisonment.

In this episode of Profiler Africa, Paul Llewellyn and forensic psychologist Gerard Labuschagne unpack:

• the psychology of rage-based violence

• entitlement and escalation

• why this was not a psychosis-driven crime

• how offenders rationalise extreme acts

• what this case teaches us about prevention

📩 [email protected]🌍 plotshift.co.za

Durban, March 2011.
Four men murdered in eight days — two decapitated. All strangers. All ambushed and hacked to death with an axe.

The killer: Joseph Phindile Ntshongwana, former Blue Bulls flanker whose life collapsed into delusion, paranoia, and violent psychosis.
Family saw the warning signs — hallucinations, erratic behaviour, and a fixed belief in a daughter who didn’t exist.

In this episode, forensic psychologist Prof Gerard Labuschagne joins host Paul Llewellyn to unpack how the murders were linked, what the forensic evidence proved, where delusion meets legal responsibility, and why every appeal failed.

Profiler Africa — where psychology meets the crime scene.

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This week, we break down the case of Annerize LeoniceSmith, who poisoned her partner Russell Kriel, a respected teacherand rugby mentor, and hid his death for 46 days.
We explore the domestic violence that led up to the killing, the psychology ofpoisoning, the extended deception, and what the sentencing tells us aboutintimate partner homicide in South Africa.

Featuring forensic psychologist Professor GérardLabuschagne, who prepared the pre-sentencing risk report.

Support the show: Subscribe, rate it, or Buy Me a Coffee:buymeacoffee.com/profilerafrica

Email: [email protected]
Website: plotshift.co.za

#ProfilerAfrica #TrueCrimeSA #EldoradoPark#ForensicPsychology #SouthAfricaCrime #Poisoning #GerardLabuschagne#CaseBreakdown #ProfilerAfrica #TrueCrimeSA #EldoradoPark#IntimatePartnerViolence #SouthAfricaCrime #PoisoningCase

For over a decade, Gerhard Ackerman operated in plain sight — grooming, abusing, and trafficking young boys under the guise of mentorship and massage therapy.In this unflinching episode of Profiler Africa, Prof Gerard Labuschagne and Paul Llewellyn dissect the psychology behind one of South Africa’s most disturbing child-sex networks.They break down how a trusted man built a hidden empire of exploitation — and how systemic failures let it thrive for years.Inside this episode:🔸 The grooming process and psychological manipulation🔸 How chronic paedophilia is diagnosed and why it’s incurable🔸 Why South Africa’s child-protection systems keep missing predators🔸 The intersection of power, denial, and pathology in sexual offending🎧 Profiler Africa — where psychology meets the crime scene.#ProfilerAfrica #GerardLabuschagne #GerhardAckerman #TrueCrimeSouthAfrica #ForensicPsychology #ChildExploitation #Paedophile #Justice #SAPS #CriminalProfiling #Trafficking #SexualPredator #RealCrimeStories

Dr Candice Hansmeyer has spent her career speaking for the dead — first in South Africa’s chaotic mortuaries, now in Canada’s pristine labs.
In this deeply human episode of Profiler Africa, she joins Paul Llewellyn and Prof Gerard Labuschagne to unpack the realities of modern forensic pathology.

Together they explore:

• The stark contrast between South Africa’s crisis and Canada’s calm

• The emotional and ethical pressure of working where death never stops

• Why good science depends on good systems — and good people

It’s raw, intelligent, and unforgettable — a story of death, dignity, and discovery.

🎧 Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts
📩 Questions or sponsorships: [email protected]
🌍 Website: plotshift.co.za

#ProfilerAfrica #ForensicPathology #CandiceHansmeyer #GerardLabuschagne #TrueCrime #SouthAfrica #ForensicScience #CrimePodcast #Autopsy #DeathInvestigation #SAPS #Justice #CriminalProfiling #RealCrimeStories #ForensicExperts

People disappear every day — but what happens when someone is kidnapped for ransom?

This week on Profiler Africa, forensic psychologist Gerard Labuschagne and host Paul Llewellyn go deep into the world of kidnap-for-ransom, joined by Vincent Swardt, a veteran crisis-response consultant who’s negotiated releases in DRC, Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa.

Vincent reveals what really happens behind the scenes:
🔸 How kidnappers choose their victims🔸 What goes on during ransom negotiations🔸 Why professional hostage negotiators succeed where police can’t🔸 Why South Africa has become a kidnapping hotspot🔸 How victims survive — and what families must never do

It’s tense, revealing, and grounded in real-world experience — a masterclass in crisis psychology.

🎧 Listen now.
📩 Questions or sponsorships: [email protected]
🌍 Website: plotshift.co.za

#KidnapForRansom #HostageNegotiation #VincentSwardt #GerardLabuschagne #ProfilerAfrica #TrueCrimeSouthAfrica #CrisisResponse #ForensicPsychology #RealCrimeStories

Between 2017 and 2019, five women vanished in Masoyi, Mpumalanga. Their bodies were later found buried on the killer’s own property — a chilling signature of control and dominance.

In this episode, Gerard Labuschagne and Paul Llewellyn are joined by Colonel (Ret.) Kirsten Clark, former SAPS Investigative Psychologist & Criminal Behaviour Specialist, to dissect one of South Africa’s most disturbing serial murder cases.

They explore:
🔸 How the disappearances were linked and the series uncovered🔸 Why burial on home ground reveals the killer’s mindset🔸 Psychological insights from Kirsten’s profile of the accused🔸 How investigative psychology guided the Masoyi task team🔸 What this case says about rural serial offending in South Africa

It’s dark, methodical, and deeply human — a case study in the mind of a killer and the people who stop them.

🎧 Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
📩 Contact: [email protected]
🌍 Website: plotshift.co.za

#ProfilerAfrica #Masoyi #SerialKiller #GerardLabuschagne #KirstenClark #TrueCrime #SouthAfrica #ForensicPsychology #InvestigativePsychology #SAPS #CrimeDocumentary #CriminalProfiling

This week on Profiler Africa, Paul and Gerard Labuschagne unpack one of the strangest and most misunderstood areas in forensic psychology: autoerotic fatality.

These are accidental deaths that occur during solo sexual activity when methods used to heighten arousal — like asphyxiation, electrocution, or body wrapping — end in tragedy. Misunderstood, often staged by families, and sometimes mistaken for suicide or murder, these cases present unique challenges for investigators and forensic psychologists.

Gerard takes us inside this hidden phenomenon: what it is, how it happens, why it matters legally, and what myths need debunking.

In this episode:
• Definition & Scope — what autoerotic fatality is and how it differs from suicide.
• The Psychology — the role of asphyxophilia and oxygen deprivation in arousal.
• Methods & MO — from ligatures to electrocution and immersion.
• Legal Implications — why classification matters for families, insurers, and investigators.
• Myths vs Reality — who the victims really are.
• Identification Criteria — how investigators distinguish accidents from suicides or homicides.
• Staging & Misinterpretation — when scenes are altered to hide embarrassment.
• Case Studies — real examples that illustrate how these cases unfold.

📩 Questions or sponsorships: [email protected]
🌍 Website: plotshift.co.za

#ProfilerAfrica #AutoeroticFatality #GerardLabuschagne #ForensicPsychology #Profiler #CrimeExplained #TrustNobody

This week on Profiler Africa, Paul and Gerard Labuschagne unpack one of the strangest and most misunderstood areas in forensic psychology: autoerotic fatality.

These are accidental deaths that occur during solo sexual activity when methods used to heighten arousal — like asphyxiation, electrocution, or body wrapping — end in tragedy. Misunderstood, often staged by families, and sometimes mistaken for suicide or murder, these cases present unique challenges for investigators and forensic psychologists.

Gerard takes us inside this hidden phenomenon: what it is, how it happens, why it matters legally, and what myths need debunking.

In this episode:
• Definition & Scope — what autoerotic fatality is and how it differs from suicide.
• The Psychology — the role of asphyxophilia and oxygen deprivation in arousal.
• Methods & MO — from ligatures to electrocution and immersion.
• Legal Implications — why classification matters for families, insurers, and investigators.
• Myths vs Reality — who the victims really are.
• Identification Criteria — how investigators distinguish accidents from suicides or homicides.
• Staging & Misinterpretation — when scenes are altered to hide embarrassment.
• Case Studies — real examples that illustrate how these cases unfold.

📩 Questions or sponsorships: [email protected]
🌍 Website: plotshift.co.za

#ProfilerAfrica #AutoeroticFatality #GerardLabuschagne #ForensicPsychology #Profiler #CrimeExplained #TrustNobody