Tears as killer gets two life terms
THE family of slain 13-year-old Rene Tracey Roman from Lavender Hill cried tears of joy when her rapist and killer received two life terms yesterday.
The family expressed their relief after nearly 18 months, when Andrew Plaatjies, 50, got his “just sentence”.
He was sentenced after admitting guilt for charges of attempted rape and murder.
In his plea agreement, Plaatjies admitted to attempting to have sexual intercourse with Rene at a home in Saint Agatha Street, Lavender Hill by “pulling a plastic bag over her head, pulled down her panty and also assaulted her on three occasions on the head with an axe and once behind the head to neutralise her and to enable to rape her without consent” (sic).
He admitted killing Rene by hitting her with a blunt object (the back of the axe) on her head.
“Seeing what he had done and that the deceased was no longer moving, he became scared and did not proceed with the rape,” the plea agreement stated.
State prosecutor Ntsoaki Mabilietse and defence advocate Henk Caarstens had initially agree that Plaatjies be handed eight years for the attempted rape and a life sentence for the murder charge.
However, Judge Robert Henney pointed out that the minimum sentence for attempted rape of a minor was also punishable with a life sentence as provided for in the Sexual Offences Act. This prompted counsel to amend the plea agreement accordingly.
Rene went missing on March10, and after 10 days of searching, her half-naked body was found wrapped in a mat in a wendy house near her home.
Judge Henney described Rene’s murder as “one of the sad cases” where children were abducted, raped and murdered by perpetrators often known to the victims and their families.
“Cases like these are a serious concern to the court because it seems it is a recurring theme.
“The question remains how do we stop people like you from hurting children, because in most cases these perpetrators are known to the victim. It must stop,” Judge Henney said.
Yesterday, supporters comforted Rene’s mother Chrissandre Jacobs, grandmother Maurene de Villiers and Rene’s stepfather Mervyn Jacobs in court as Plaatjies was sentenced.
Mervyn said their family could now start their healing journey although the sentencing would not bring Rene back.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila welcomed the sentence.