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Local News|
Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - Web posted at 7:25:17 GMT Rehoboth residents outraged by woman's gruesome murder CHRISTOF MALETSKY at REHOBOTHANGRY Rehoboth residents marched through the town's streets yesterday, demanding stiffer sentences for murderers and rapists after a young mother was hacked to death with a rake by an angry boyfriend. |
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Frans Mannetjie Boois (37) allegedly hit Katrina van Wyk repeatedly with a rake on Wednesday evening and then left her to die. Libertina /Naris told The Namibian yesterday how she and others in the Block E neighbourhood heard Van Wyk's screams for help on Wednesday evening and were unable to come to her rescue. "He used to beat her often and people thought it would stop after some time. However, this time he left her to die," said /Naris, wearing black and carrying a placard demanding a life sentence. Neighbours said Boois hit 30-year-old Van Wyk repeatedly with a rake, left her for dead and told them in the morning that she had been screaming because of stomach pains and was fine. "Some people approached him, but he told them that she was fine and sleeping in the shack. When they went in, they found her dead, lying in one corner of the room," she said. Police were called and Boois was arrested. He had just served a year in jail after being convicted of drunken driving and driving without a licence. One of the passengers in his car died of wounds sustained in an accident he caused while under influence. Police told The Namibian that Boois was convicted in November 2003 and sentenced to 13 months behind bars or a fine of N$4 300. He was unable to pay the fine and served the sentence. "They must hang him," said van Wyk's 70-year-old mother, Elly Levy. "In my opinion, he must go in [to jail] for life. If he comes out, one of us might go back," said a very upset Albertus van Wyk, father of the deceased. The 75-year-old ailing father said circumstances might force him to take revenge on Boois, and appealed to the courts to prevent that by imposing a life sentence on the young man. Boois and van Wyk have a three-year-old boy. "Make the culprits aware of their sins and make them suffer," was the plea of Rachel Cloete, who led the angry residents' march to the magistrate's court. "Why do people who steal livestock get 20 years' imprisonment while a murderer only gets a fine of N$5 000 or 18 months' imprisonment?" she asked Magistrate Gaynor Poulton, who received their petition. Cloete said the Rehoboth community felt betrayed by the lawmakers and the Ministry of Justice. "Last year in July we handed over a petition calling for stiffer sentences but we have not seen any response. It is not good that we keep marching but there is no reply from the Ministry of Justice," she fumed. Cloete said criminals were better off in jail than at home, with decent meals and accommodation, and most preferred to stay in there. "We plead that the Ministry of Prisons and Correctional Services make more money available to build more prisons and sentence murderers and rapists for life imprisonment... to remove them from the community," she said. Poulton said she could only forward the concerns to the head office of the Ministry of Justice. She told The Namibian that most rape and murder cases were tried in the regional court and sentences meted out according to the laws. The youthful magistrate said rape and murder were a concern in Rehoboth, but that the rape cases were more alarming. Libertina /Naris blames the situation on an increase in drug and alcohol abuse in Rehoboth. "Maybe it will be best to reintroduce the death sentence," she said, adding that criminals had no fear of courts. |
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