Griekwastad Trial: Murder of the Steenkamp Family

[ponder]

Raped his sister and then killed his mother, father and sister...

Ok, thought there was more than one son.

 

[Fazda]

The reason for this was the boy was a first offender and had a chance to be rehabilitated.

Oh FFS!

He only killed three of them, but he hadn't done it before, so it's not such a big deal.

Some bloody justice for the dead - and he'll be out in 10 to 12 with good behavior - sick!!

 

[Sensorei]

When is he eligible for parole?

 

[LazyLion]

When is he eligible for parole?

It's usually two-thirds of the sentence if well behaved.
So, say around 2027.

 

[Fazda]

It's usually two-thirds of the sentence if well behaved.
So, say around 2027.

Yup - at the grand old age of 31 he walks free, all ready to rape and murder yet again!

 

[P924]

Yup - at the grand old age of 31 he walks free, all ready to rape and murder yet again!

But at least by then he will know what it feels like to be at the recieving end (well, maybe not the murder part...)

 

[Solarion]

I'm a bit late into this thread, have they said what the motive was? He must've really hated them, especially his sister for what he did to her.

 

[Kornhub]

But at least by then he will know what it feels like to be at the recieving end (well, maybe not the murder part...)

He should get gang raped every single day until he gets released.

 

[LazyLion]

I'm a bit late into this thread, have they said what the motive was? He must've really hated them, especially his sister for what he did to her.

Given that he asked the police in the car on the way back to the farm if he would be in line to inherit everything, it seems his motive was financial.

 

[Solarion]

Given that he asked the police in the car on the way back to the farm if he would be in line to inherit everything, it seems his motive was financial.

Thanks.

 

[Fazda]

Given that he asked the police in the car on the way back to the farm if he would be in line to inherit everything, it seems his motive was financial.

Indeed - one sick puppy

 

[P924]

Given that he asked the police in the car on the way back to the farm if he would be in line to inherit everything, it seems his motive was financial.

I don't think so - that was something he though of after the fact, but not his main motive.

 

[LazyLion]

I don't think so - that was something he though of after the fact, but not his main motive.

Granted, but it was awfully close to the action of the crime...

There was a rumour that he had previously made advances to his sister... it was mentioned previously in this thread, but I can't find it now.

She certainly was a pretty girl...



I wonder if he tortured her because of her refusal of his advances or if it was sexual frustrations or just his way of making it look like an outside crime.

 

[P924]

I think he raped his sister and then his parents confronted him or something to that effect, and then he thought that killing them is the way out. Apart from that reports of his behaviour at school certainly indicates he has some psycological problems.

So sad to see someone with a world of opportunities throw it all away so easily.

 

[Solarion]

Yup gorgeous girl. So sad. RIP.

 

[Pitbull]

I'm a bit late into this thread, have they said what the motive was? He must've really hated them, especially his sister for what he did to her.

Given that he asked the police in the car on the way back to the farm if he would be in line to inherit everything, it seems his motive was financial.

There is also the theory that he killed them to cover up the rape of his sister prior to the killings.

 

[Pitbull]

I'm a bit late into this thread, have they said what the motive was? He must've really hated them, especially his sister for what he did to her.

Yup gorgeous girl. So sad. RIP.

Don't forget rich too. Someone would have been damn lucky to have married her. But alas...

 

[Bar0n]

http://www.volksblad.com/nuus/2014-08-15-hoekom-don (It's all in Afrikaans, sorry.)

 

[LazyLion]

Griquatown killer turns 18 in jail


Don Steenkamp, who was convicted of killing his father, mother and sister. Picture: Soraya Crowie

Kimberley - Don Steenkamp, the boy who killed his own father, mother and sister, turned 18 on Friday, after spending the second day of his 20-year sentence behind bars at the Kimberley Prison.

He was sentenced by Northern Cape High Court Judge President Frans Kgomo to an effective 20 years in prison on charges of murder, rape and defeating the ends of justice, earlier this weekend.

Judging from the brutality of the crimes committed and Steenkamp’s lack of remorse, Kgomo indicated that this was the most appropriate sentence.

Steenkamp was sentenced to 60 years (20 years each) for the murders of Deon Steenkamp, 44, Christel, 43, and 14-year-old Marthella, 12 years for the rape of Marthella and four years for defeating the ends of justice. The three were shot dead on their farm Naauwhoek near Griquatown on April 6 2012.

The murders were committed when Steenkamp was 15 years and eight months old.

A court order prevented the media from revealing his identity because he was a minor and was protected under the Child Justice Act. However, this restriction was lifted when he turned 18.

Steenkamp will spend the next three years in the juvenile section of the Kimberley Prison. When he turns 21 he will be transferred to the adult section to serve out the rest of his sentence or until he qualifies for parole.

The 18-year-old will be considered eligible for parole after serving a portion of his sentence, on condition that the parole board of the Department of Correctional Services are satisfied that he has been successfully rehabilitated.

Steenkamp has the right to appeal the sentence and, according to the National Prosecuting Authority, all indications are that he intends to do so.

While the killer’s family has been split between believing in his innocence or guilt, his grandmother, Bettie Steenkamp, 88, has chosen to forgive her grandson.

She has indicated that she will always love him, but has pleaded that he be given the necessary psychiatric and psychological help, so that one day he can make a positive contribution to society.

She also believes that, when he is released from prison, she will no longer be alive.

Deon Steenkamp’s sister, Marianna Smith, said that the family can now move on.

“The investigation team did an excellent job. Based on the evidence presented in court, there was no other suspect. So we have to make peace with the outcome and accept it.

“While the sentence could have been harsher, we commend the judge for showing leniency on the side of the boy when granting him a five-year remission, given the youthfulness of the killer as well as taking into account possible psychological factors could have been at play.

“We hope that during his time in prison, the boy will receive the psychological support that he needs to be rehabilitated so that he can acknowledge the magnitude of his actions and show genuine remorse,” she said.

Looking towards possible parole a Steenkamp family spokesperson added: “Should he ever be considered for parole, the family would like strict conditions to be set and a thorough evaluation of his state of mind to ensure that he poses no risk to society.”

Diamond Fields Advertiser
NOTE FROM IOL: As noted in the bold text in this story, the legal requirement not to name Steenkamp no longer applies
http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/griquatown-killer-turns-18-in-jail-1.1735742#.U-2zP2ORaVo

 

[LazyLion]

GRIEKWASTAD MURDERER IDENTIFIED ON 18TH BIRTHDAY

Three newspapers on Friday identified the teenager convicted of a triple murder in Griekwastad in the Northern Cape on the day of his 18th birthday.

The Star printed a photo of Don Steenkamp sitting in court, above the story headlined "This is boy who raped sister, killed parents".

According to the newspaper, a court order preventing the media from revealing the teenager's identity because he was a minor was lifted when he turned 18.

Beeld carried a photo of Steenkamp on the front page with the caption "Griekwastad. Hier is Don [here is Don]".

Beeld's sister paper Volksblad had the photo and story on its front page.

Steenkamp was found guilty of murdering his father, Griekwastad farmer Deon Steenkamp, 44, his mother Christel, 43, and his sister Marthella, 14.

Previously most media reports did not state the family connection as this would have identified him while he was under the age of 18.

They were shot dead on their farm Naauwhoek on April 6, 2012.

He was also found guilty on charges of raping the girl and lying to the police.

On Wednesday, Northern Cape Judge President Frans Kgomo sentenced him to 20 years imprisonment on each of the three murder counts, 12 years on the rape count, and four years for defeating the ends of justice. All sentences would run concurrently.

Friday was Steenkamp's second day in jail.

Media lawyer Dario Milo said South African law was unclear on the issue of identifying a child who was the subject of a court case and who turned 18. However, he believed the newspapers were justified in identifying him.

"The automatic lapsing of the protection... makes sense because the right to freedom of expression and the principle of open justice require that statutory restrictions on court reporting are interpreted as narrowly as possible.

"Those newspapers who have decided today [Friday] to name the Griekwastad convicted murderer will therefore, in our view, have a solid basis to argue that this decision was justifiable," he said in his blog Musings on Media.

However, statutory interpretation was complex.

The position on this in South African law was governed by the Criminal Procedure Act read together with the Child Justice Act.

Section 63(6) of the Child Justice Act provided that section 154(3) of the Criminal Procedure Act "applies with the changes required by the context regarding the publication of information".

He said section 154(3) of the Criminal Procedure Act protected an accused person under the age of 18 during criminal proceedings, while the Child Justice Act applied to someone who was over 18 during criminal proceedings but was under that age at the time he or she was arrested.

In certain circumstances, the act also applied to someone who was over 18 but under the age of 21.

"Thus, one reading of the Child Justice Act is that the phrase... means that once the Child Justice Act is deemed to apply to a particular person then the reporting restrictions in the Criminal Procedure Act will apply until the completion of those proceedings, even if the accused is now well over 18," he said.

This could also apply to any appeal.

But when minors turned 18 they gained various freedoms they did not have before and lost certain special protections reserved for children.

Responding to a request from a newspaper to identify Steenkamp, Kgomo said what happened after judgment was none of his concern.

The judge president said when he was approached on Tuesday about publishing the boy's identity before judgment was delivered his answer was an "emphatic no".

"The horse has now bolted... What happens after I had given judgment, as of now, is none of my concern as presiding judicial officer in the case.

"I am functus officio."

This meant that an official's mandate on the matter had expired.

Kgomo could not deal with any queries once he had pronounced on the matter.

"Judges do not dispense legal advice. They speak through their judgments," he said.

During sentencing, Kgomo told the teenager to face the consequences of his deeds.

"In two days you are a man. Now, be a man," he told the teenager on Wednesday before sentencing him.


Source : Sapa /gq/jje/ar/jk
Date : 15 Aug 2014 11:51