SWINDLER Maritjie Prinsloo had not taken responsibility for defrauding hundreds of people of their investments in the Krion pyramid scheme, the Pretoria High Court heard yesterday.

While Prinsloo felt remorse that so many people had lost their money, she felt she had done nothing wrong, clinical psychologist Franco Visser said in a pre-sentencing report.

Social worker Erna Pieterse said Prinsloo’s adopted son, aged 15, was not passing at school and should Prinsloo be jailed his biological father may not be able to look after him. This would mean he would have to go to an orphanage.

Prinsloo was found guilty in June on 122000 charges, including racketeering and fraud. Her adult son Willem Pelser, daughter Yolanda Renstra, husband Gerrit, niece Izabel Engelbrecht and her husband Hendrick, were also convicted on thousands of charges. About R1.5billion was invested in the scheme. — Sapa