You're not alone - Steve

2008-10-09 08:22

Virginia Keppler

Pretoria - "It's important that we don't become used to the abuse and murder of our children."

This is what Steve Hofmeyr told the mourning Rozan Jafta on Wednesday. Her daughter, Jeanine Kayser, 11, was raped and murdered at the weekend.

Jeanine's sister, Chantalle, 9, found her body on Sunday and tried to wake her up.

"You are a heroine! We are proud of you!" Hofmeyr told Chantalle.

He visited the family at their home in Onverwacht outside Cullinan and took them flowers and gifts from him and his wife, Natasha. Their special gift for Chantalle was a teddy bear.

The sisters had been left in the care of their stepfather, Jan Jafta, while their mother was recovering from an operation in hospital.

'No band-aid can cover this wound'

"You are not alone," Hofmeyr said. "Many people are thinking of you. I am here as a parent and father and I am very sad.

"I really don't know what to say to you. There is no band-aid that can cover this wound."

Hannetjie Masemola, Jeanine's grandmother, told Hofmeyr when she went to identify Jeanine's body on Tuesday, she could clearly see her granddaughter had been tortured.

"Her neck fell to one side and it seemed broken. Her poor body.

"Why did they do it to such a small child?"

In the meantime many children in the neighbourhood are staying home from school out of fear.

Cedric Marais, headmaster of Onverwacht Primary School, said parents and children are upset and living in fear because Jeanine's murderer is still on the loose.

- Beeld