Killer teen 'tried to commit suicide twice'
Mbongeni Zondi
December 14 2004 at 03:15PM

"The 14-year-old girl awaiting sentencing for murdering her close relative has twice attempted suicide since her conviction.

This was revealed in the Pietermaritzburg High Court during a sentencing hearing.

The full article can be read at: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20041214103408732C170743

Edited to conform with IOL Copywrite requests

Okay so this girl hires two African men to kill her grandmother who looks after her, pays them with the grans Jewellery, and was ever so calm about the whole situation. Now there is complaints about what subjects she can study in prison? Why is she still in school. I am totally stunned that she would actually go to school after being convicted of murder. Of course the kids are going harass her. A cry for help committing suicide. This girl was a cold calculated killer, this is not a cry for help this is a publicity stunt. Sorry a lot of people might not like my comments here, but if the whole story was followed then people would understand why i say what i say. She should be given the maximum sentence possible. The fact that children under the age should not be imprisoned is a lie. We have kids as young as 7 in prison here in SA. This "kid", hired people to kill. She may be a kid in the eyes of those defending her, but in truth she is a murderer. I am sorry i must agree with the state here. We cannot let this girl get away with this. If we do this we will have a lot of teenagers killing people for no reason and NOTHING can get done to them.

I agree with you.....but the fact remains that she did not grow up too normal, and kids are affected by that. I'm also amazed she was still in school.....as for being a cold and calculated killer, I think as a kid she did not know how to stop what she started doing....like that other 14 year old in England who killed his best friend in the same way after the way people were killed in that playstation game "Manhunt" leading to it being banned in the UK...what started off as a fantasy ended as a horrible reality....
I think with kids like this there is always a reason for their behaviour, something has happened to be enough to start pushing them over the edge. I'm not excusing this at all, but I can see "Why" kids can behave the way they do and because they are children they can do it in an exceptionally brutal way and seemingly unfeeling way......I don't believe anyone is born evil...if you know what I mean!

And in the same vein...............
And it's not only Westville Prison.............!


Prison ignored teen murderer's rights
Ingrid Oellermann
December 15 2004 at 04:47AM

Westville Prison has ignored the provisions of both the Correctional Services Act of 1998 and the constitution, which stipulate that children under 18 must be detained separately from adult prisoners, the high court in Pietermaritzburg heard on Monday.

Judge Kevin Swain, with two assessors, is considering sentencing options in respect of the 14-year-old girl found guilty of the murder of ex-nightclub owner and businesswoman Radha Govender, 59, in 2002. At the time she was 12.

Catherine Claassen, head of security at the female section of Westville Prison, which incorporates a juvenile section, admitted that prisoners up to the age of 22 were classed as juveniles.

Two to three juveniles would normally share cells. However, those over 18 did not share cells with the younger prisoners.

Two to three juveniles would normally share cells - However, when juveniles experienced discipline problems an older prisoner, "like a mentor or mother figure", would be assigned to the juvenile to instil discipline.

Asked by defence advocate Kobus Booyens SC how this would be achieved, she said the older prisoner would "coach" the child and help with monitoring by reporting back to officials.

"Theoretically, therefore, if she's a naughty little girl my 14-year-old client could end up in a cell with a 30-year-old?" Booyens asked.
Claassens said this would "depend on her behaviour", but added that she would not be alone in a cell with the older woman.

"No, there would be three of them," Booyens commented.

Booyens read out Section 7 of the Correctional Services Act of 1998 and Section 28 of the constitution which deals with children's rights, both of which stipulate that children must be detained separately from adult prisoners.

"Effectively what you are saying is that if this court sentences my client to imprisonment at Westville it is imposing an unconstitutional sentence because Westville Prison ignores our constitution," Booyens said.



This article was originally published on page 3 of The Mercury (http://www.themercury.co.za/) on December 15, 2004