Okahandja killings follow a serial killer pattern – expert

An expert says two of the three Okahandja killings that recently shook the nation indicate a pattern characteristic of serial killers.

Both took place in the same geographical area, at similar times, and involved girls of similar ages.

This follows the horrific murders of three young girls at Okahandja over the past month, with concerns pointing to the possible involvement of a serial killer or paedophile.

The Okahandja community is in shock following the murders of Ingrid Maasdorp (5) on 20 March, as well as those of Roswinds Fabianu (6), and Beyonce !Kharuxas (15) last Friday and Saturday.

Maasdorp’s body was found under a bridge in the Veddersdal area on 21 March, a day after being reported missing.

Fabianu was last seen on Thursday, 24 April, after being dropped off at school, never making it to class.

Her body was discovered the following day at a graveyard in the same residential area.

Both had been pupils at KW Von Marees Combined School.

On Saturday, 26 April, !Kharuxas’ body was found in the bushes at Five Rand informal settlement just outside Okahandja.

National police spokesperson deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi says the teenager had gone to a local drinking spot with friends at around 22h00 on Friday.

They were joined by two unknown men who reportedly bought them alcohol.

“!Kharuxas allegedly informed her friends that she was going to use the toilet, and that was the last time they saw her. The deceased was found dressed in a black top only,” Shikwambi says.

‘DEEPER ISSUES’

Windhoek-based clinical psychologist Shaun Whittaker says Namibia needs to confront the deeper societal issues underlying such tragedies.

He is calling for a national conversation on patriarchy, misogyny, and paedophilia.

Whittaker says perpetrators in such crimes often display issues of dominance, hatred, contempt for women, and sexual fantasies involving children under 13.

He says they tend to have no impulse control, no emotional regulation, and they themselves have possibly been traumatised in the past.

“They might have been exposed to inappropriate sexual content or dysfunctional family situations in their childhoods. I think we need to use these tragic incidents to have these discussions about patriarchy, misogyny and paedophilia,” he says.

Echoing these concerns, Joab Mudzanapabwe, a clinical psychologist and forensic psychology lecturer at the University of Namibia, says evidence suggests a pattern of behaviour consistent with either a serial killer or paedophile operating in the area.

PATTERN

He says the cases indicate a pattern in that both took place in the same geographical area (Veddersdal), at similar times, and involved girls of similar ages.

Both Maasdorp and Fabianu went missing on Thursday mornings and were found dead on Fridays, within the same vicinity, he says.

Mudzanapabwe stresses the importance of classifying these crimes, urging the authorities to consider whether they are dealing with isolated offenders or a serial predator.

“The nature of the crimes is almost the same. It points out that the person is likely to be operating in the area and for certain reasons,” he says.

Mudzanapabwe says serial offenders often display organised or disorganised patterns.

While amateur criminals tend to leave behind evidence and make mistakes, habitual killers are typically calculated and careful.

“Serial killers act in a certain manner which is quite systematic. They tend to act in the same way and normally present a psychological signature which is something that is salient…

“You might find a cut or mark on the bodies, and that is usually a sign of serial killers. These incidents seem to be repeated patterns, so it might indicate the presence of a serial killer or paedophile,” he says.

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah on Sunday visited the three victims’ families and addressed the Okahandja community, announcing a curfew for residents of Okahandja as a security measure.

“I call upon all community members to adhere to the rules and regulations that will be put in place by law enforcement in the next few days,” she said.

– Nampa

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