Action Society celebrated two major victories in court on Wednesday. Thanks to ongoing oversight and pressure on the justice system, justice has been served for two rapists while two suspects, accused of killing 63-year-old Mickey Ontong were denied bail.
The two men accused of killing Mickey were denied bail on Wednesday afternoon at the Wellington Magistrates Court. The court is still waiting for the post-mortem report, the DNA results from the victim’s clothing as well as the photos of the crime scene. The case has been postponed to 9 November. “One of the suspects has a previous murder conviction. We are glad that both of them are off the streets and we will continue to assist Mickey’s family and her community in the pursuit of justice,” says Action Society’s Kaylynn Palm.
Meanwhile Action Society’s pressure and oversight has paid off in the rape case of young Jasmine*. The two teenagers accused of raping Jasmine were found guilty at the Mitchell’s Plain Magistrates Court today. Since Action Society took on the case it has been postponed about 15 times. “The case has gone through various challenges, including faulty equipment in the Sexual Offences Court, load-shedding and other court related matters and it took its toll on Jasmine, who no longer wanted to attend school. We applaud her for holding on and fighting for justice. It sends a strong message to those that prey on the vulnerable: This kind of behaviour will not be tolerated.”
The case has been postponed to 14 December for sentencing. “We applaud the prosecutor who did excellent work in this case. The sentencing is the final hurdle, and we intend to be there to congratulate Jasmine for her bravery and to cheer her on to go ahead as a victor – stronger than before,” concluded Palm.
Jasmine* is a pseudonym used to protect the victim’s identity
CAPTION: Action Society’s Colleen Wolmarans outside Wellington Magistrates Court for Mickey Ontong case
