Church murder victim’s family appeals for information from public

The family of 29-year-old Quitenline Bonnita Eixas, who was brutally raped and murdered in the early morning hours of Sunday, 23 May 2021, has urged members of the public to assist the police in tracing the suspect.

The family spokesperson, Immanuel! Aochamub, was speaking at the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Katutura, where a church caretaker found Eixas’ lifeless body.

“We would like to call upon those with information that will help in the conviction of these hooligans to come forth with such information,” he said.

The family member explained that their daughter, who is a mother of four children, died as a result of blunt force trauma and injuries to the head.

“The perpetrators used bricks and blunt objects to break the back of her skull. When we went for the identification of the body at the mortuary, we could see that she died a horrible death. Her eyes and mouth were open as if she was still screaming for help. The painful departure of her soul from her body could be seen in her face,” he told family and friends gathered at the church.

The family further urged the prosecuting authorities not to grant bail for those who will be arrested for the murder of Eixas and to impose maximum prison terms for those who will be found guilty.

The speakers described the late as a sweet, peaceful and kindhearted person, who does not deserve to die in that manner.

The deputy mayor of the City of Windhoek Clemencia Hanases urged youth and parents to stand up against drugs and alcohol the same way they stood up to march against those who commit barbaric crimes.

“Let us be united and fight drugs, alcohol and any other crimes committed by our sons and daughters. Youth, stand up and do something productive in your society to earn a living. Refrain from committing illicit activities,” she stated.

Reverend Betty Kauna Schröder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church said the safety of women and girls travelling to and from school or work, their freedom of movement and their right to be free and safe in the city are fundamental concerns for governments and institutions at all levels.

She called upon stakeholders to immediately respond with targeted and effective actions to the emerging evidence that multiple forms of gender based violence, particularly intimate partner violence, have intensified during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Schroder said the pervasive, endemic nature of GBV against women and girls is rooted in structural gender inequality and discrimination.

“All forms of violence against women and girls are interconnected and have common root causes – both expressing and reinforcing structural inequalities of power. GBV is a women’s human rights violation of pandemic proportions, which was prevalent before the Covid-19 crisis – and if not addressed with a gender-transformative approach, it will persist once this crisis has passed, with serious consequences and lifethreatening impacts for women and girls around the world, who will pay the highest price. Interventions must be responsive to the needs of and address the vulnerabilities of young women and adolescent girls as well as for those who face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination based on, for example, ethnicity, race, class, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity,” she stated.