Killer dad went to kids' graves

2008-10-07 17:30

Cape Town - Charlotte van der Westhuizen, the mother of two children who were shot dead by their own father as they were sleeping, later encountered the father at the cemetery where the children were buried, the Cape High Court heard on Tuesday.

The father, Marius van der Westhuizen, a senior police officer, is on trial before Judge Willem Louw and assessor M Powell on three charges of murder.

The third charge relates to his own child from a previous marriage, who was also shot dead with the other two on July 28 2006.

Those who died were the two children from the marriage between Van der Westhuizen and Charlotte, Marius and Antoinette, as well as Bianca, the alleged killer's handicapped daughter from a previous marriage.

The mother told the courts she went to the cemetery on what would have been Marius' seventh birthday on September 7 2007, to place his favourite sweets on his grave.

She said she always drove an old Toyota Cressida, but this time she was in a different car.

She said she did not know that Van der Westhuizen was also at the grave that day, nor did he know of her presence.

She said she approached him from behind, and saw that he was crying.

She told the court: "I was not afraid of him at all that day - God allowed us to talk calmly to each other."

She said she touched him and told him she had replaced their dilapidated post box at home.

She said this was all she could think of to say at the time.

She said she asked how his mother was, and then she asked why he had shot dead their children.

All he could say was he could not remember.

She told him she did not hate him for what he had done, and as they stood together, she prayed for him.

The case continues.

- SAPA