Action Society welcomed the sentencing of the rapist and murderer of 8-year-old Tazné Van Wyk in the Western Cape High Court today, three years and one week after she went missing.
“Dangerous people like this criminal should never be allowed to come into contact with any child or woman,” said Kaylynn Palm, Action Centre coordinator at Action Society. “He is a disgrace to the human race.”
Tazné went missing on 7 February 2020 from Elsies River in the Western Cape, and her body was found in a stormwater pipe outside Worcester two weeks later. The guilty man (54 at the time) was arrested on 17 February 2020.
Before he murdered Tazné, the man was sentenced to 10 years for culpable homicide in 2008 and released on parole in October 2016. While on parole, he raped and impregnated his daughter and the child borne from those acts. He also severely assaulted his children and stepchildren.
Western Cape High Court Judge Alan Maher today said the 57-year-old was clearly beyond any hope of rehabilitation, with “a heart of darkness”. The man was found guilty of 22 charges, and the court sentenced him to nine life sentences.
“Even though we are satisfied with the sentence, it is a pity that it took three years to get to this point, keeping in mind that he was arrested shortly after Tazné’s murder,” said Palm. “The criminal justice system should move a lot faster to get victims the justice they deserve.”
