More than a year after her murder, the murder case of Candice Robertson cannot continue as the investigation is not completed yet. Action Society today supported Candice’s family at court on what would have been her 40th birthday.
The suspect, Ettiene van der Merwe, appeared in the Cape Town Magistrates Court on a charge of murder this morning. Robertson was found dead in the room the couple shared in Greenpoint, Cape Town, on 30 April 2022.
According to reports, Van der Merwe allegedly called the owner of the guest house to report that Robertson seemed to have committed suicide in the room. However, when authorities and medics arrived at the scene, there were doubts about whether she had committed suicide, and the boyfriend was arrested.
He was granted bail of R6 000 despite an online petition on www.change.org by Karen Kwalie – to oppose bail.
The family and friends of Robertson gathered at court today, wearing t-shirts with a photo of Candice and held posters, desperately seeking justice. Candice left behind a teenage daughter.
This case angers Robertson’s family, as they were only informed of her death more than a week after she was murdered. The family is unhappy about the process and reached out to Action Society.
“We have stepped in and will do all we can to assist the family regarding investigations and case oversight. The family sat with tears in their eyes at court; all they want is answers and justice,” said Kaylynn Palm, Action Centre coordinator at Action Society.
“Crime against women and children is extremely concerning. Recent crime statistics show that 11 women and three children are murdered per day. It also shows that 15 women and four children survive an attempted murder daily, but only 1 out of 10 of these cases returns a conviction,” she said.
The case was postponed to 16 October for further investigation.
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