- Marius van der Westhuizen, a former policeman and convicted child murderer, had his parole suspended pending a review due to concerns that the victim impact report was not properly considered.
- Despite serving 13 years of a 24-year sentence for killing his three children, his parole was granted amid opposition, sparking a ministerial inquiry led by the new Minister of Correctional Services, Pieter Groenewald.
- The case has raised significant public and civic concern about the adequacy of justice served, especially regarding crimes against children.
The parole of convicted child murderer and former policeman Marius van der Westhuizen was suspended pending a review by members of the National Board of Corrective Services with a judge chairing.
This follows allegations that the impact report on victims was not adequately considered by the Parole Board and Correctional Supervision (CSPB) at the Malmesbury Correctional Centre when parole was granted in June amid strong opposition from his ex-wife Charlotte. Van der Westhuizen was sentenced to 24 years in prison in 2011 for the murder of his three children in 2006.
It was Van der Westhuizen’s third attempt at freedom after serving 13 years in prison. The Parole Board had found that Van der Westhuizen had accepted responsibility for his crimes and had participated in therapeutic and other rehabilitation intervention.
READ | Organisation slams parole decision for ex-cop who killed his three children in Brackenfell
However, new Minister of Correctional Services Pieter Groenewald is not convinced Van der Westhuizen would not commit a similar crime if released and, on his instruction, the department studied the report of the parole board recommending the review, Netwerk24 reported.
He told Netwerk24 that this was the first ministerial inquiry he has dealt with since coming to office.
Tragedy
The tragic incident took place in Brackenfell on 28 July 2011, when Van der Westhuizen shot 16-year-old Bianca, who was disabled, 5-year-old Marius and 21-month-old Antoinette in their beds with his service pistol. Earlier he had confronted Charlotte, also a police officer, demanding of her to choose between her job and her family. Charlotte had returned home from work later than usual that evening having picked one of the children up from crèche.
After shooting the children in front of her he locked her up in another room of the house before leaving. Charlotte later broke her silence about years of emotional abuse she had suffered at his hands.
Fearing his release may set a dangerous precedent, civic organisation Action Society stated Van der Westhuizen should remain behind bars.
“Fathers and police officers should be men of honour, duty and courage,” said the head of the organisation’ action centre, Kaylynn Palm. “They should keep their families and communities safe instead of attacking them, like the very people they vow to protect them from.
“He is a child murderer and should remain behind bars. Thirteen years for the death of three innocent children and a lifetime of trauma for a mother is insulting; what he did warrants life in prison. It is very concerning that crimes against children are still not taken as seriously as they should, especially given that such crimes have reached unprecedented levels in recent times.”
