Victims feared sex offender on prowl
ONE of the country’s most notorious sex offenders was arrested in Knysna for a second time this year while out on parole – this time for apparently lurking around the home of one of his victims at night.
The woman wants to take legal action against the Correctional Services Department because she says the electronic ankle bracelet fitted to Francois Coetzee should have alerted authorities when he neared her house. However, officials responded to the alarm only three day later.
“There is nothing to protect us,” said the woman, who did not want to be identified, as she did not want to jeopardise her children’s safety.
The department is investigating the length of time it took officials to respond.
Coetzee, 42, who is back in jail until his prison sentence ends in September, was arrested after hanging around the woman’s home at the end of May. She was only speaking out now because ill-health had prevented her from doing so sooner.
Coetzee was first arrested this year when he was seen in Knysna carrying a panga, but he was released.
He has been convicted of numerous crimes, including the attempted murder in 1995 of Alix Carmichele, who undertook what became a mammoth court battle to prove the State failed to protect her from him.
Carmichele only found out this week that Coetzee had been arrested for a second time, when she bumped into the other victim.
Coetzee was released on parole on October 27, after spending about half his life behind bars. He was released from custody after his first arrest this year for carrying the panga, leaving Carmichele and his other victim fearing he would target them again. But at the time Correctional Services spokesman Simphiwe Xako said there had been no basis to revoke his parole.
He said Coetzee was being monitored strictly and was not allowed to go near his victims. And if he did, the ankle bracelet would trigger an alarm in the victim’s home and in a Correctional Services centre.
She said this week he had approached her home, violating his parole conditions. She was frustrated by what had happened consequently.
“I’m sick. I had a lung biopsy and it’s the first week I’m back at work in a while. I’m ready to talk about this and let people see how we’ve been let down.
“It was a Saturday night. I was in bed with my children watching TV. That (device) started going off at 9pm, meaning he was near,” she said.
It kept beeping until 5am the following morning.
“I called the Correctional Services number again and again. No one answered. My children were scared. They were saying: ‘That man is here.’ It was awful. I’m trying to get us away from here but, with being ill and the finances, I can’t.”
Correctional Services staff only reacted that Tuesday.
“I was diligent about that device. When it needed charging, I plugged it in, but for what? Now I’m scared they’ll release (Coetzee) again.
“I don’t want to leave this here. I want to take action against Correctional Services.”
Coetzee nearly killed Carmichele in Noetzie, outside Knysna, in 1995, for which he was later sentenced to an effective 12.5 years in jail. At the time, he was facing a separate charge of rape, and had a suspended sentence for indecent assault.
Carmichele successfully sued the ministers of justice and of safety and security for negligence in allowing Coetzee to be released from custody.
This week, she said Coetzee’s actions while on parole made her feel as if the court battle had been in vain.
“(Coetzee) could have been around my house, for all we know. Correctional Services sent me all the restrictions (regarding his parole) but it means nothing.”
Yesterday, Southern Cape Correctional Services area commissioner Ndileka Booi was unaware of the latest incident involving Coetzee. She confirmed he was back in prison.
Regional Correctional Services spokeswoman Carla Williams said Coetzee had been arrested for violating his parole conditions. “He will finish his sentence without consideration of further parole.”