Media Statement

June 2024

The Parole of Convicted Murderer:

A Betrayal of Justice for Domestic Violence Survivors

Cape Town, 20 June 2024 — On December 8, 2023, MOSAIC Training and Healing Centre made a heartfelt plea to the Acting Chairperson of the Correctional Services Parole Board, Mr. Rynold Sederman, urging the denial of parole for convicted murderer Marius Van Der Westhuizen. This plea was on behalf of Charlotte Van Der Westhuizen, the mother of three children brutally murdered by her then-husband, Van Der Westhuizen, in a horrific act of domestic violence.

Van Der Westhuizen, a high-ranking police official, used his service pistol to kill his three children, aged 16 years, 5 years, and 21 months, in an act of vengeance designed to inflict unbearable pain on his wife, Charlotte. During his trial, he chillingly detailed that his motive was to hurt Charlotte in a way she could never forget, ensuring she would live with the trauma every day of her life.

In a devastating turn of events, Van Der Westhuizen was granted parole on July 31, 2024, to be released until September 2034. This decision has shattered the already traumatised Charlotte, the surviving mother of his victims.

In a society grappling with the scourge of domestic and intimate partner violence, this news is a grave blow to the faith and confidence of survivors in the criminal justice system. Instead of feeling protected, survivors now see the system as failing them, undermining the relentless efforts of civil society organizations to destigmatize gender-based violence and encourage survivors to seek help.

South Africa has witnessed numerous tragic incidents where SAPS officials have used their service weapons to kill their families. This alarming trend requires urgent attention, and the criminal justice system cannot afford to show leniency, especially when dealing with its own members.

"The Correctional Services Act 111 of 1998 mandates that the parole board must give special consideration to the nature of the crime committed, the length of the sentence served, and the manner in which the crime was committed," says Adv. Tarisai Mchuchu-MacMillan, Executive Director of MOSAIC. "Van Der Westhuizen was sentenced to 24 years in prison and served only 13, falling short of the minimum sentence required for life imprisonment."

"We are deeply saddened by this outcome," Mchuchu-MacMillan continues. "We firmly believe he has not met the threshold of rehabilitation and change, as we communicated to the parole board in 2023. Beyond this, we fear for Charlotte’s life. By failing her, the system may have placed her in further harm’s way."

The decision to grant parole to Van Der Westhuizen has ignited outrage and the need to mobilise, with MOSAIC and other advocacy groups demanding an immediate review. The civil society outcry stresses the urgent need for the criminal justice system to prioritize the safety and justice of survivors over the leniency towards perpetrators.

As the community rallies in support of Charlotte and all survivors of domestic violence, the message to the authorities must remain clear, that the fight against gender-based violence is far from over. Women and children need a system that truly serves justice and protects the vulnerable from further harm.

END.

For more information, inquiries or requests for interviews, please contact:

Sinelizwi Ncaluka

Communications and Stakeholder Coordinator

E: sinelizwi@mosaic.org.za

T: +27 066 296 0629

About MOSAIC 

MOSAIC Training, Service & Healing Centre (MOSAIC) is an African-feminist, community-based NGO that prevents and reduces abuse and domestic violence. We achieve this through holistic and integrated first responder services when incidents occur, supporting people through healing and rebuilding their lives following a traumatic event, and collectively advocating for system change to ensure universal access to care, support and justice since 1993. MOSAIC creates an enabling environment through our holistic and integrated five-pillar service model

• Access to justice
• Support and Healing
• Economic Empowerment
• Gender Equality & Safety
• Systems change & Strengthening

The organisation was established in 1993 in response to high levels of violence against women in South Africa, particularly in the form of domestic violence, and in recognition of the silence that many women suffer in unnecessarily, due to either a lack of knowledge of their rights, a lack of confidence to access justice for themselves, or both. MOSAIC's registered head office is in Cape Town, South Africa. For further information about MOSAIC, please visit www.mosaic.org.za