Action Society welcomes the sentencing of Felicia Keur in the murder of 26-year-old Melanie Stoffels, following proceedings at Wynberg Regional Court on 12 May 2026.
Keur was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment, with five years suspended.
Melanie Stoffels was brutally murdered on 7 August 2024 in what the State described as a planned and coordinated attack allegedly arranged by her ex-girlfriend, Felicia Keur. Stoffels, who was pregnant at the time, was beaten to death with a hammer. Her body was later discovered near a footbridge. The case shocked communities across the Western Cape because of the extreme violence involved and the fact that both Melanie and her unborn child lost their lives.
Earlier this year, co-accused Quinton Jacobs was sentenced to 18 years’ direct imprisonment after pleading guilty to carrying out the murder. During sentencing proceedings, the State outlined how the attack had allegedly been arranged and planned in advance.
Action Society has monitored the matter closely and continued to support the family throughout the court process.
Kaylynn Palm, Western Cape Head of Action Society, says the sentence reflects the seriousness of the crime: “Melanie was a young woman with her whole future ahead of her. Her unborn child was also robbed of life in an act of calculated and senseless violence. While no sentence can undo the devastation suffered by her family, accountability remains critically important.”
Palm says South Africans are increasingly being exposed to levels of brutality that should never become normal.
“A pregnant woman was beaten to death with a hammer and her body discarded near a footbridge. Yet cases involving extreme violence against women continue to appear on court rolls across the country week after week. Communities are exhausted, families are living in fear, and many no longer trust that the system is capable of preventing violence before it turns fatal,” says Palm.
Action Society extends its condolences to the Stoffels family and reiterates its commitment to supporting victims of violent crime and monitoring cases to ensure justice is pursued fully and consistently.
The organisation also acknowledges the work of investigators and prosecutors involved in securing the conviction and sentence.
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