Anika murder 'extremely brutal'
2010-03-15 08:34
Pretoria - Whoever murdered, presumably raped and cut off the hands of Anika Smit, 17, is "unnaturally cruel", "sadistic" and "extremely dangerous".
This is the reaction of two criminologists to the murder of the blonde Gerrit Martiz High School pupil.
Pixie du Toit and Anni Hesselink agreed that the person or people who murdered Anika on Wednesday at her father's house in Theresapark, in the north of Pretoria, harboured an incredible amount of hatred.
It's the first time they've heard of a case in South Africa where the murderer(s) cut off the victim's hands.
Suffered
"The chances are good that they made her suffer and watched her suffering," said Hesselink on Sunday. "They must have enjoyed seeing her like that."
According to Hesselink and Du Toit, all indications are that Anika must have known her murderer(s).
The two criminologists agree with Johan Smit, Anika's father, that Anika probably locked their dogs up in the back of the property, unlocked the gates for her murderer(s) and let them into the house.
Du Toit suspects that the murder was the result of a failed relationship.
"To me it feels like revenge," said Du Toit. "Maybe he wanted to have sex with her but she refused. It's almost like he said, 'If I can't have sex with her, nobody will.'
"The guy must have been furious, because the murder was without a doubt unnaturally cruel. He wanted to maim her."
Someone she knew
Hesselink said Anika's murderer(s) could be someone or people she knew and trusted. If more than one person was involved in her murder, it could possibly have been the result of a new friendship.
The fact that Anika had earlier run away from home shows that she is easily influenced.
According to Hesselink, the manner in which Anika was murdered and left is directly related to the murderer's characteristics.
"The purpose of his/her/their visit was to hurt her," said Hesselink.
"If it was one person, it is an extremely dangerous person. Because if one is capable of doing all those things (murdering her, presumably raping her and cutting off her hands), one has to be abnormal and psychopathic.
"It must be someone who hates women, because a lot of anger was taken out on her."