By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Former Springbok coach Peter de Villiers succeeded in having charges against him dismissed in the Malmesbury Regional Court.
De Villiers was facing charges of attempted sexual assault, sexual assault and crimen injuria.
The case was brought against him in early 2024 by a former colleague in the GOOD Party, who claimed that De Villiers had assaulted her at a work event.
His party membership was terminated after a party disciplinary process found him guilty of breaching the party’s constitution and code of conduct.
De Villiers maintained his innocence throughout, with his defence highlighting inconsistencies in the complainant’s account and lack of corroborating evidence. The investigation involved gathering statements, medical reports, and scene analysis, but prosecutors struggled to build a solid case.
This paved the way for the section 174 application in early August 2025, where defence argued no reasonable court could convict based on the evidence presented.
On Thursday, 28 August 2025, Magistrate Yolanda du Plessis acquitted De Villiers, citing insufficient evidence to convict him.
De Villiers led the Springboks to Tri-Nations victory in 2009 and a series win over the British & Irish Lions.
Post-coaching, he ventured into politics with GOOD Party in 2023, aiming for a Western Cape seat, but the allegations derailed his campaign.