Family's plea for missing teen
Missing girl’s family heartbroken as four days pass without any news
IT HAS been four days since Rene Tracy Roman, 13, went missing from her Retreat home, and her family feels “devastated”.
She reportedly went to the shop and never returned.
Her stepfather, Mervyn Jacobs, reported her missing on Friday. “I can’t tell you how I feel right now. I feel devastated. I just want to say whoever has got my daughter to just bring her home. My heart is broken.”
He described her as a quiet child who would always asked for permission whenever she left the house.
“She is a very quiet person. She likes to stay at home. If she wants to go anywhere she will always ask for permission. It is strange, very strange. She told us she was going to the shop and never made it there.
“Friday afternoon round about 2pm, that’s the last time we saw her. She was on her way to buy a packet of chips, but never made it to the shop… the shop is about seven houses away from us.”
Jacobs also thanked community members and organisations Lavender Hill, the police, the Steenberg Community Policing Forum (CPF) and the Pink Ladies organisation.
Rene’s mother, Chrissandre Jacobs, was very emotional.
She said Rene had been helping her with the washing before she went missing.
“And the last time I saw her, she came out by the gate and told them (the neighbours) she’s going to the shop quickly. And that was the last time I saw he… no last words or nothing.”
Pink Ladies director Dessie Rechner said she had been working closely with the police and the community to locate the teen.
“It’s been a combined effort with the police, communities and our organisation’s ground team.
“There has been a dog search that swept the Lavender Hill area, mainly open ground areas. Everything possible is being done to get her back.”
Steenberg CPF chairwoman Lucinda Evans said the family had pleaded for help to find their missing daughter.
About 100 people joined the search over the weekend. “The CPF facilitated a search that started at 10pm until 2.30am on Friday. We covered the whole of Lavender Hill, the flats section, Montague village and did a portion of the informal settlements. We resumed the search on Saturday morning at 10am, and we then went behind the bush at the Hillview 2 settlement.”
Rene’s biological father, Eugene Jacobs, said he was also in distress. “My heart is sore and I hope my child will come home. I know my child is still alive.”
If you have information on Rene’s whereabouts, contact the Pink Ladies at 021 702 9000 or the ground team at 082 441 9096. – matthew.vanschalkwyk@inl.co.za
‘MY HEART IS SORE AND I HOPE MY CHILD WILL COME HOME. I KNOW MY CHILD IS STILL ALIVE.’