Young stabbing victim’s body to be exhumed

THE healing wounds of the grieving family of a 15-year-old boy who was killed in a knife stabbing at Henties Bay on New Year’s Day have been reopened by news that the Police plan to exhume the boy’s body from his grave.

The family of the late Ricky /Gawaseb have been informed that his remains are to be taken from his grave so that samples needed for forensic tests can be collected from his body, his aunt, Juliana Garises, told The Namibian yesterday.His family has been shocked by this move, Guriras said.The Police’s Crime Investigation Coordinator in the Erongo Region, Deputy Commissioner Ottilie Kashuupulwa, said on enquiry yesterday that she could not give any information about the matter, as it is considered to be confidential.She said the Police plan to have a meeting with /Gawaseb’s family and to explain the matter to them.Word that /Gawaseb’s body is to be exhumed has left his family with more questions, though, according to Guriras.She said the Police kept /Gawaseb’s body for two weeks after his death.Now, two months after his burial, they want to exhume him, and the family cannot understand why the samples that should apparently now be gathered had not been collected when the body was still in the custody of the Police, she said.’We’re still mourning our son’s death,’ Guriras remarked.She added that the family is also unhappy because the two suspects accused of killing him have both been released on bail./Gawaseb died after he had been stabbed with a knife at a friend’s house, close to his own home, at Henties Bay in the early morning hours of January 1.Two young men have been arrested and charged with a count of murder in connection with the stabbing.The two suspects, Wilfried Langerman (18) and Bernardus Langerman (20), have been released on bail of N$3 000 each. They have to appear in court again on April 12.