Two Months Later & Still No Arrests in the Van Breda Murders

Two months have passed since the horrific murders of Martin, Teresa and Rudi van Breda in their exclusive golf estate home just outside Stellenbosch.  Usually what happens after someone has been murdered is the police start looking for who did it. Strangely, this has not been the case in this crime.

There have been no widespread manhunts. There have been no identikits released.

The silence is deafening, especially as time passes and more distance is put between the date this is being read and the night of the 26th/27th January 2015.

I think it is known who the person most suspected is. He is holed up at a relative’s home, being kept a close eye on, not being seen in public…pretty much being kept behind closed doors.

But as I’ve written before, all signs point to the middle van Breda child – 20 year old Henri. He was home that night. Afterwards, he related the order in which his family were attacked. He suffered injuries medical professionals later said were self-inflicted. He only phoned the police several hours after the gruesome events.  Days later news came out that he had been in therapy of some type, he had had a tik problem, his allowance had been reduced or withdrawn – all issues that suggest a young man with problems. But these kind of issues are suffered by many of today’s youth – it doesn’t mean they will try and wipe out their entire family.

Probably the biggest evidence that Henri was somehow involved in this unspeakable tragedy is the fact that he has not been allowed to have any contact with the only other survivor of that dreadful night – his younger sister Marli. Brutally slashed at, Marli suffered a brain injury and severe, jugular artery trauma that nearly killed her. But Marli didn’t die. She was rushed to hospital and emergency surgery was done. Today, she is recovering, but in the last 2 months, she has had no contact with her brother, with some reports suggesting it would be too traumatic for her.

News reports now come out in slow drips and drabs. Life moves on. Other major stories usurp the news. A plane crashes, the cricket world cup is won, Jeremy Clarkson is fire,  Miss SA is crowned. But in the background, one wonders what happened on that fateful night and what are the police doing about it?

The latest report contains quotes from well known William Booth, who is the chairperson of the Cape Law’s Society Criminal committee. He says the police silence is unusual. As I have thought, Booth has suggested – that the police don’t want to jeopardize the case. They  have a reputation of doing so….fresh in our minds is the Oscar Pistorious court case and that of Shrien Dewani. In both of those crimes, the South African Police didn’t exactly appear to shine. They don’t want another mess-up.

Meantime, the killer is free.

News of Marli is positive. She is allowed visitors. She is making good progress. It seems her recovery is going well. My prayer is that physically she will be completely back to normal, even though her life will never be the same again.

I pray that justice will be done. I think I prefer the police silence – knowing that they are working behind the scenes, than having them sprout forth with accusations and suggestions and allegations that go onto ruin their case.

Time will tell.

Pray.

Psalm 11:4
The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD is on His heavenly throne. He observes everyone on earth; His eyes examine them.

God bless you!

In His Grip,

Helga xx