Families seek healing after murders, rapes
Victims, survivors celebrate lives of loved ones at White Sunday
THE Mitchells Plain Crisis Forum has honoured victims of rape and murdered women and children at a White Sunday event yesterday. Rushaana Adams, 36, also a member of the forum, said her family had many questions concerning her mother’s murder in 2015.
“My mother was supposed to come to me for a weekend. I started worrying when she did not call to say she is not coming. When I called my brother who stayed with her, he said she was on a weekend away but not sure where.
“I did not believe that, as it did not make sense; on the second day she was found dumped outside her house.”
A man of 46, who cannot be identified to protect his stepdaughter’s identity, said the police and justice system had failed his stepdaughter, 9, who was a victim of rape.
“My daughter was raped by her biological father and brother who she visited for a weekend last July. She came back walking funny. We knew something had happened and she also told us. They were arrested, (held) for two days and released.
“Police said they had insufficient evidence even though we gave them her panty which had all the evidence. We had to go and cause a scene at the police station, and only then did they do something . Later on we were told the panty had disappeared and the police (officer) who investigated is no longer there.”
Ellen Bardien, 46, lost her sister Aniesa Bardien, at 37 years old. She was murdered and raped in 2013.
The mother of 11-year-old Stacha Arendse, who was raped and killed this year, was also at the White Sunday event, so named because white is pure, said Roegshanda Pascoe.
“We are giving the survivors and families an evening of song, poetry and remembrance to celebrate the lives of their loved ones as human beings who had dreams – not only as victims.”