Hope For Marli

I was watching TV yesterday and saw a programme on one of Britain’s most notorious murders. As I watched it, I was struck by the similarities to the van Breda family murder. Two members of the Russell family survived. The father, who was not at the scene of a brutal attack and his older daughter Josie, who was. A family of 4, father Shaun, mother Lin and two girls  Josie and Megan, were living an idyllic life in a rural part of Kent in England. In July 1996, Lin and her daughters were on their way home with the family dog, when a heroin addicted psychopath attacked them on a quiet road. Dragging them into nearby forest, they were left for dead. Lin and Megan died. Josie, nine years old, was found barely breathing with a faint pulse. She had severe head injuries and needed surgery. She spent 6 weeks in hospital, but it took her a year before she began to be able to communicate. 18 and a half years have passed since that dreadful day, but today Josie is blossoming, with no signs of the terrible tragedy that struck her and her family nearly 2 decades ago. One thing about Josie is that she has stayed away from all the media attention. She does not want to talk about that day, but rather to move on.

You can read Josie’s story online and visit her website www.josierussell.com.

How Josie’s life has turned out gives me hope for Marli van Breda, whose parents and older brother were murdered at home on 26th/27th January 2015.

Time will pass and the great pain Marli has suffered will be dulled by the ongoing movement of life. It is my hope and prayer that she will receive the same amount of love and care that Josie received. I am sure that the family members of her parents will do everything within their power to ensure that she gets the best love and treatment possible.

It’s great to see the love of the community wanting to reassure Marli that they are rooting for her…

Photo: Chanel September/EWN

But I can imagine that Marli may want the same degree of privacy as Josie sought, so she too can rebuild her life outside the glare of media attention.

An arrest in the Russell murders case only came a year after the crimes were committed. Psychopath Michael Stone is currently serving 3 life sentences for the murder of Lin and Megan and the attempted murder of Josie.

We will wait and see what happens to the other surviving van Breda family member, Marli’s brother Henri. He was only slightly injured, was not hospitalised and doctors suggested his injuries were self-inflicted. Reports in the media say he had a history of drug abuse and mental illness. A top lawyer has been hired for Henri, but no one is saying that he did it. More than a month ago I wrote that if Henri didn’t do it, investigators need to find out who did. There are still more questions than answers. All reports point at Henri.

The latest report to come out of the press is from EWN which says the NPA has enough evidence to pursue a suspect.   They are closing in.

One way or another, the truth will eventually come out. God knows.

Pray for Marli, for full recovery both emotionally and physically.

Mark 10:27

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

She has been saved for a purpose.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Helga