Marius van der Westhuizen, an ex-cop turned killer who murdered his three children in cold blood in 2006, has been granted parole after serving 13 years in prison in a development that Action Society not only finds deplorable, but fears might set a dangerous precedent going forward. The Department of Correctional Services stated the parole board has granted Van der Westhuizen parole from the 31st of July 2024 until September 2034.
“Fathers and police officers should be men of honour, duty and courage. They should keep their families and communities safe instead of attacking them like the very people they vow to protect them from. We cannot, in good conscience, support this awful decision,” said Head of Action Society’s Action Centre Kaylynn Palm.
At the time of the incident, Van der Westhuizen was the Acting Station Commander at Claremont Police Station. On Friday July 28, 2006 he shot his three children aged 16, five and 21 months in front of his wife at their home in Brackenfell. He was found guilty and sentenced to 24 years in prison.
“He is a child murderer, and should remain behind bars. Thirteen years for the death of three innocent children and a lifetime of trauma for a mother is insulting; what he did warrants life in prison. It is very concerning that crimes against children are still not taken seriously as it should, especially given the fact that this type of crime has reached unprecedented levels in recent times,” concluded Palm.
