I was shocked myself, confesses child killer

THE impact of the crimes that he committed at Swakopmund on the night of January 31 last year hit confessed child rapist and killer Willem Louw only a day and a half later, Louw told the High Court in Windhoek yesterday.

Louw (32), who on Wednesday last week pleaded guilty to charges that he kidnapped, raped and killed a six-year-old girl, Rachel Hamatundu, at the Swakopmund sewage works, was giving evidence for a second successive day before Judge Sylvester Mainga. Having already told the court in gruesome detail the previous day how he raped and killed Hamatundu, his testimony focused on the events that happened after those crimes were committed.By Louw’s account, he had spent the day of January 31 last year drinking some 12 or 14 beers, of which some were shared with drinking buddies.After he had raped and murdered Hamatundu, he drank some more, he testified.The next day – which was the day after Hamatundu had been murdered by having her head smashed repeatedly against a concrete pillar – followed much the same pattern, the court heard on Louw’s second day in the witness box.In the morning already, Louw and a friend at the block of flats where both Louw and Hamatundu were living had sent someone to buy a 750 ml bottle of vodka, he said.Some 500 metres away, meanwhile, Hamatundu still lay violated, brutalised and dead where she was to be discovered during that day.After they had emptied the bottle of vodka, they shared a bottle of coffee liqueur, also drank a few beers, “and enjoyed ourselves”, Louw related.After another round of beers with his friends, said Louw, he went home.That was around 18h00 or 18h30.”I was between drunk and sober,” he said.Between 19h00 and 20h00 he saw people going up to the flat where Hamatundu lived.A little later, he went there too, he said.At the flat, he found the parents of the girl he had murdered the previous evening.”I went with the aim,” he said, pausing for a few seconds before he continued in Afrikaans, “to also go and pay my respects, but I did not know how I should do it.I suggested a prayer.I prayed.I even embraced the mother of the daughter, the father of the daughter.”Louw continued: “I wanted to say something to the father.I wanted to say to him that I am the guilty one, but I did not know how, and I was also afraid that I could be in danger myself.”The next morning, which was a Wednesday, he again met the friend that he had spent the previous day with, Louw said.This time, he only had some coffee, and declined a suggestion that they should get some wine to drink, he said.The friend started talking about Hamatundu, and about the fact that her body had been discovered and that she had been killed, Louw said.”I did not make any comment.I was shocked myself,” Louw said.”I went up to my flat, and there I started crying.I was alone in the room,” he testified.”I knew that I had done the deed, but I realised what I had done only on the Wednesday morning.”I asked myself, ‘Willem, why did you do it?’ I myself have still not received the answer why I had done it,” he testified.Louw continued: “From there I was pacing up and down in the flat.I knew the Police would come for me.”He also stated: “I wanted to surrender to the Police, but did not know how.”Louw was right about the Police.Later that morning, the Police detective who helped solve the crimes, Warrant Officer George Xoagub, knocked at Louw’s door, and found a trembling Louw, who looked shocked when he opened the door, Judge Mainga heard from Xoagub earlier this week.In his testimony, Louw confirmed that he was shocked.”The shock came to me on the Wednesday morning, when I realised what I had done,” he said.On the Friday after that, Louw saw Chief Inspector Sydney Philander, who was also involved in the investigation of the case, in Philander’s office.”I started talking, but mostly cried,” Louw said about that meeting.”I could not speak.He stopped me and asked me if I wanted to give my confession before a Magistrate.I said it’s OK.”Later that day, Louw made a confession before a Magistrate at Walvis Bay.He confessed voluntarily, Louw told the Judge.The reason for that, was “because I was feeling very bad about what I had done,” he said.”I also wanted to personally apologise to the father of the child.I know he feels very bad,” Louw added.He is set to continue with his testimony when the trial proceeds for a seventh day today.Having already told the court in gruesome detail the previous day how he raped and killed Hamatundu, his testimony focused on the events that happened after those crimes were committed.By Louw’s account, he had spent the day of January 31 last year drinking some 12 or 14 beers, of which some were shared with drinking buddies.After he had raped and murdered Hamatundu, he drank some more, he testified.The next day – which was the day after Hamatundu had been murdered by having her head smashed repeatedly against a concrete pillar – followed much the same pattern, the court heard on Louw’s second day in the witness box.In the morning already, Louw and a friend at the block of flats where both Louw and Hamatundu were living had sent someone to buy a 750 ml bottle of vodka, he said.Some 500 metres away, meanwhile, Hamatundu still lay violated, brutalised and dead where she was to be discovered during that day.After they had emptied the bottle of vodka, they shared a bottle of coffee liqueur, also drank a few beers, “and enjoyed ourselves”, Louw related.After another round of beers with his friends, said Louw, he went home.That was around 18h00 or 18h30.”I was between drunk and sober,” he said.Between 19h00 and 20h00 he saw people going up to the flat where Hamatundu lived.A little later, he went there too, he said.At the flat, he found the parents of the girl he had murdered the previous evening.”I went with the aim,” he said, pausing for a few seconds before he continued in Afrikaans, “to also go and pay my respects, but I did not know how I should do it.I suggested a prayer.I prayed.I even embraced the mother of the daughter, the father of the daughter.”Louw continued: “I wanted to say something to the father.I wanted to say to him that I am the guilty one, but I did not know how, and I was also afraid that I could be in danger myself.”The next morning, which was a Wednesday, he again met the friend that he had spent the previous day with, Louw said.This time, he only had some coffee, and declined a suggestion that they should get some wine to drink, he said.The friend started talking about Hamatundu, and about the fact that her body had been discovered and that she had been killed, Louw said.”I did not make any comment.I was shocked myself,” Louw said.”I went up to my flat, and there I started crying.I was alone in the room,” he testified.”I knew that I had done the deed, but I realised what I had done only on the Wednesday morning.”I asked myself, ‘Willem, why did you do it?’ I myself have still not received the answer why I had done it,” he testified.Louw continued: “From there I was pacing up and down in the flat.I knew the Police would come for me.”He also stated: “I wanted to surrender to the Police, but did not know how.”Louw was right about the Police.Later that morning, the Police detective who helped solve the crimes, Warrant Officer George Xoagub, knocked at Louw’s door, and found a trembling Louw, who looked shocked when he opened the door, Judge Mainga heard from Xoagub earlier this week.In his testimony, Louw confirmed that he was shocked.”The shock came to me on the Wednesday morning, when I realised what I had done,” he said.On the Friday after that, Louw saw Chief Inspector Sydney Philander, who was also involved in the investigation of the case, in Philander’s office.”I started talking, but mostly cried,” Louw said about that meeting.”I could not speak.He stopped me and asked me if I wanted to give my confession before a Magistrate.I said it’s OK.”Later that day, Louw made a confession before a Magistrate at Walvis Bay.He confessed voluntarily, Louw told the Judge.The reason for that, was “because I was feeling very bad about what I had done,” he said.”I also want
ed to personally apologise to the father of the child.I know he feels very bad,” Louw added.He is set to continue with his testimony when the trial proceeds for a seventh day today.