When will families see justice done?

TODAY marks 93 days since East London toddler Jayde Veldman was brutally killed in Parkside and 56 days after Awonke Diko was murdered while sleeping at her boyfriend’s home in Mdantsane.

The two cases of the three-year-old and 19-year-old are prime examples of just how the police have failed the families of the two victims.

There are surely more cases that remained unresolved for years, but did not receive the media attention the other two did.

Granted the police will not be able to crack every criminal case that is reported to them, but the families of the two victims, just like any family that has tragically lost their loved ones, will never find closure until their killers are brought to book.

It is commendable that in some cases of a similar nature, like that of Liyema Dutywa, 10, who was allegedly killed by her father and two others in Tsolo, the police moved swiftly to arrest the alleged murders.

The South African justice system has failed many women and children as criminals often slip through the cracks – most times as a result of poor policing work.

But for the Diko and the Veldman families, they do not even have hope that the killers will ever be found.

Jayde’s senseless murder, near her Second Creek home, sent shockwaves throughout the entire Eastern Cape and no witnesses have come forward.

But Diko was found dead at her boyfriend’s house in NU14 with head injuries and bruises on her lungs and womb.

It should be easier to crack this particular case as all the leads are there.

But it took a month for our men in blue to start their investigation into the murder.

Both cases are perfect examples of the crimes committed against women and children this year alone.

Basically victims of crime suffer twice: first at the hands of criminals and secondly through shoddy police work.

If the police cannot protect the most vulnerable sector of our society, then who will? All the victims of these horrendous crimes want is for the perpetrators to be brought to book. That is not too much to ask for.

It is unacceptable that the police have not made any breakthrough in the two cases.

The two families deserve justice and some kind of closure.

Someone out there knows or even saw what happened and all they need to do is to avail the information to the police. Hopefully something will be done with such information.

But the police do not inspire much confidence, especially after their treatment of the violent deputy Higher Education minister with kid gloves.

What faith will ordinary people have in the police if the likes of Mduduzi Manana are seen to be above the law?

This is where Police Minister Fikile Mbalula should go beyond rhetoric and actually restore the faith of communities in law-enforcement agencies.

He should spend less time on Twitter throwing barbs at his detractors. The only time anyone will begin to notice the work that he claims to be doing is when families like the Veldmans and the Dikos see justice being served.

As the media, we will continue to put the spotlight on such atrocities and piling the pressure on the police to do their jobs.