Werner de Jager’s unstable history makes him unsuitable to take care of himself and, more importantly, his children. Action Society supports the prosecution’s call not to grant him bail to protect his and murdered wife, Rev Liezel’s children, from further trauma. De Jager stands accused of Liezel’s murder on 13 October 2021 and is applying for bail in the Amanzimtoti Magistrates Court. This is the fifth court appearance since he was arrested in November last year.
“Werner de Jager should stay in custody for justice to take its course,” said Ian Cameron, Director for Community Safety at Action Society. “We feel very sorry for Liezel’s parents, children, family and friends who must endure this terrible ordeal. Werner has shown time and again that he lies – when he was arrested, he admitted to the police that he murdered Liezel, but in court, he denies it. This is typical of the criminals we deal with every day; they will lie to get their way. He could just as well be lying about not being a flight risk.”
Action Society believes that there should never be bail for suspects in cases involving violence against children or women.
“We want to congratulate the prosecutor in this case for standing firm. We hope to see more law enforcement officers do the same to send a message to all perpetrators of violence,” said Cameron.
The case has been postponed to Friday 26 February.
