Joost tape authentic - UPDATED x3

Friday, 20 February 2009 09:40

First posted 20 Feb @ 9:40. Updated 20 Feb @ 18:35, 21 Feb @ 09:35 and 23 Feb @ 14:00.

UPDATE 1: 20 Feb @ 18:35: Listen to the audio of Dr Len Jansen discussing the authenticity of the Joost tape.

UPDATE 2: 21 Feb @ 09:35: In articles written by Candice Bailey in today’s editions of Saturday Star, Pretoria News Weekend and possibly other Independent Newspapers titles in other cities, a factually incorrect statement is attributed to forensic expert Dr Len Jansen. In these articles it is stated that Dr Jansen “yesterday said the man in the video was Van der Westhuizen” and “yesterday said the man in the video was the 1995 Rugby World Cup player”.

These statements in these newspapers are incorrect, as Dr Jansen has not yet expressed any opinion about the possible identity of the man in the video. As also reported in these newspapers, and as stated below, Dr Jansen at this time confirmed the authenticity of the recording and the fact that it has not been tampered with.

To hear Dr Jansen speak, please click on one of the audio links in the article below.

UPDATE 3: 23 Feb @ 14:00

heat’s legal representatives were informed today that Joost van der Westhuizen is no longer legally represented by his attorney of record appointed last week Monday. The most up to date information currently available is that he has not appointed another attorney to represent him and that all queries are referred to Mr Mike Bolhuis.

According to world renowned expert Dr Len Jansen, a forensic voice identification, tape analysis and authentication specialist, the Joost videotape supplied to him for detailed analysis is authentic.

In an interim report presented to heat magazine’s attorneys yesterday, Dr Jansen states: “I can declare with certainty that no tampering has taken place nor has anything been changed to the sound on the tape as originally recorded with the video. I have analysed every millisecond of the sound signal for both continuity of wave form as well as spectral content (with spectrograms). I did not find any indication whatsoever of tampering or that anything has been changed on the original recording and I am therefore convinced that the recording is still exactly the same as originally recorded.”

Audio in Afrikaans:

Audio in English:

Dr Jansen is currently continuing with further forensic analysis, including the possible isolation of the male voice on the video recording for verification. The findings of this second part of Dr Jansen’s forensic analysis could be available early next week.

The original tape recording of the video was made available to Joost and his legal representatives immediately on request earlier in the week. His experts will start their forensic analysis of the recording today, with full cooperation from heat’s attorneys.

In a further development in the Joostgate saga, Team Van der Westhuizen requested heat.co.za late yesterday afternoon to remove certain user comments posted on heat.co.za, as these were posted by individuals claiming to be either Joost or his wife Amor. Shortly after the request was received all such comments and users were removed from heat.co.za. Team Van der Westhuizen was also given the commitment that any such occurrences will in future be removed as soon as possible. In addition, heat.co.za has reiterated again that it will consider all requests for removal of commentary placed by users on the web site as soon as possible and with complete fairness, as well as according to legal advice.

heat also confirmed that it had extended a formal invitation to Joost van der Westhuizen that the magazine was prepared to publish his response, supported by his own photographs if he so wishes, unchanged and unedited in its next edition (on sale Tuesday next week), in which he can state the reasons why he is not the individual in the video. In order to allow him enough time to prepare such a statement, the printing of the magazine was delayed by 24 hours, currently placing it in significant danger of appearing late on newsstands next week. Team Van der Westhuizen responded that there was not enough time to do so.

In the light of this heat will again extend the same invitation to Joost for the following issue of heat.

NOTE: Information on forensic expert Dr Len Jansen:

Dr Len Jansen is a forensic expert in possession of several degrees obtained at the Universities of Stellenbosch and Pretoria. It includes a B.Sc. degree with Physics, Mathematics and Applied Mathematics as main subjects, a B.Sc.-Hon. degree in Applied Mathematics, a M.Sc. degree in Physics and a D.Sc degree in Physics, with Scientific Voice Identification as the subject of the thesis. During 1966/67 he received specialised training in speech analysis and voice identification at the Institute for Perception Research in Eindhoven, Netherlands. From 1964 he worked for 18 years at the Acoustics Division of the CSIR and from 1982 he worked for 6 years at the Forensic Science Laboratory of the South African Police. During 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979 and 1983 he received training in the United States of America on the scientific identification of voices. In 1974 he became a member of the International Association of Voice Identification and during 1979 he was certified by them as an expert on voice identification. He has also attended a number of their congresses in the United States. He is a retired fellow of the South African Acoustics Institute. During 1992 he joined the International Association of Forensic Phoneticians.