Five unsolved murders of children remain cold cases

ACTIVISTS claim child murders are often used to gain political points and further agendas while several cases remain unsolved in the Western Cape.

This week the Cape’s Cold Cases looks at five unsolved cases of children in the Western Cape, dating as far back as 2005.

In all of these cases, the killers were never found, and in some instances, the docket closed and in others, those accused were acquitted.

Last year, Western Cape provincial police admitted there was no Cold Case Squad or team investigating unsolved murders or missing person’s cases, especially that of children. These are the five cases:

s 4ATUM ,OUW MONTHS OLD

The bodies of Tatum and her mother

-ARSHAY ,OUW WERE FOUND IN THE BUSHES IN !TLANTIS ON !PRIL

The bodies were already decomposing when discovered. They had been

REPORTED MISSING ON -ARCH

s 2ANDOLINE &ORTUNE TWO OF 6ALhallah Park was lured away from her

HOME ON &EBRUARY 4HE TODdler was raped and later died. Her neighbour Angelo “Boontjie” Petersen,

WAS ACQUITTED IN $ECEMBER

Petersen later told the media he was innocent after being released from police custody.

s $ANE $ARRIES WAS STABBED

eleven times inside a toilet at his Stephen Road Primary School in Grassy

0ARK ON &EBRUARY

s .UR -ALGAS FIVE .UR S HALF NAKED body was discovered in bushes on the slopes of Hout Bay on April 25, 2005. He had been missing for two days.

s /YAMA $LUDLA S BODY WAS FOUND ON .OVEMBER ON AN OPEN

field in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch. The boy, 3, was found with head injuries.

Provincial Police spokesperson,

#APTAIN &# VAN 7YK COMMENTED

individually on each case.

He said: “The case of Marshay

,OUW AND HER MONTH OLD BABY IS

still under investigation by Detective Captain Gavin Liedeman.

“Anyone with any information on

THIS CASE CAN CONTACT HIM ON

OR #RIME 3TOP ON h2ANDOLINE &ORTUNE TWO OF 6ALHALlah Park – the accused in the matter has been acquitted in court on a charge of murder.”

In the case of Dane Darries, Van Wyk said the case was filed and would be re-looked at in 2024 and if new leads were found, it would be opened sooner.

Police are still unsure who killed the boy while he was inside the school toilet that day. A sharp object which had been used, was also never found.

Darries’ case (with Grassy Park SAPS) is currently filed as undetected

ON &EBRUARY AND WILL BE BROUGHT FORWARD IN &EBRUARY

“The suspect is still unknown, and there are no further leads at this time. The case will be reopened if any new information emerges,” said the police spokesperson.

“Nur Malgas – this Hout Bay murder case has no new developments. No arrests were made in the case. Anyone with any new information can contact

(OUT "AY 3!03 DETECTIVES ON

v

)N THE CASE OF /YAMA $LUDLA 6AN

Wyk added that the Hawks had at one stage had the case docket but that it was transferred back to the local

POLICE STATION h/YAMA $LUDLA S CASE

was transferred and investigated by the Hawks back then. The docket was transferred back to Stellenbosch SAPS detectives and an inquest was held, and the docket was closed.

“No suspects could be linked or IDENTIFIED /UR DETECTIVES ARE FOLLOWING up on all leads, but we also depend on the public’s assistance to furnish us with information to solve these cases.”

Van Wyk added all of the cases needed the input of potential witnesses or information to help solve them.

An activist for women’s and children’s rights, Roegshanda Pascoe of Action Unity Against GBV, said no matter how forensic testing had evolved, these cases remain unsolved, as did present cases.

She added the sad reality was that politicians often used these cases to gain political points and agendas.

“I was surprised to see that there is a company that does billboards using it to fight trafficking. I read that the South African police want to use drones to fight crime meaning they will still arrive after the fact, and evidence will be contaminated and we will still have cold cases like these where perpetrators will walk free because there is not enough evidence

“My question will be, is it not better to work hand in hand with the people affected by the crime and with all the corruption. The State has become the perpetrator by not bringing justice to anyone because they play politics. Some parents have died without justice or closure.

Bronagh Hammond of the Western Cape Education Department said they would have to approach the Safer Schools for comment about Dane Darries’ murder.

Barbara Rass, a former Atlantis ward councillor following the case of the murders of Tatum and Marshay, said a specialised unit was required to investigate these types of crimes.

“It is about time that we deal with unsolved cases which have not been properly investigated,” she said.

“Local government and national government need to get their house in order where children are murdered.

“The families do not get inner peace and the perpetrator gets victory. In the case of Tatum and Marshay, these are two murders, their killer is still walking around. The moment a person is reported missing, they miss vital information and they need to go back to the reward system to help people coming forward.”