Today marks exactly two years since much-loved reverend, Liezel de Jager’s murder, but in the 730 days since her death, no arrests have been made. According to Action Society, there is only one answer that can explain the shockingly slow progress in this case and that is that the police officers and detectives in this case are either too lazy or too incompetent to complete a proper investigation.
“From day one, we knew that evidence from Liezel’s body and information on Liezel’s watch and laptop could lead to a breakthrough. Compiling reports on this should be run-of-the-mill police work, but two years later, according to our knowledge, the forensic analysis of Liezel’s laptop, her Garmin wrist watch and a cellphone that was seized, is still not completed” says Ian Cameron, Director of Community Safety at Action Society.
According to Cameron, Liezel’s husband is said to be a person of interest that might have information that could lead to a positive arrest. “Detectives compiled a list of questions for Liezel’s husband months ago and requested he answer under a polygraph test, but they never followed up when he failed to respond or show up.”
“Our patience is wearing thin and Action Society is considering legal action to force the police to do their jobs. We escalated Liezel’s case to the National Inspectorate of the Police months ago and have followed up repeatedly. Besides acknowledging receipt no feedback has been received. Liezel’s father, Henk, also follows up with the investigators and the senior officials very regularly. As someone with more than two decades of police experience himself, the incompetence and disrespect he has had to witness in his daughter’s case is a bitter pill to swallow. He just want the police to do their jobs.”
Action Society will continue to support Liezel’s family until this case is solved. “Her case resembles hundreds of cases where the decaying justice system is failing victims and their families. Liezel’s family deserves closure. Liezel deserves justice. At this time, it is the very people who are supposed to serve justice that are delaying it. We demand a higher standard.”
Reverend Liezel de Jager was brutally strangled to death in her yard in Amanzimtoti on October 13, 2021. She was returning home from her morning jog with her friends when she was last seen alive. She was only 38-years-old. Her body was found by her husband, Werner de Jager, in her yard. But none of Liezel’s personal items, including her cellphone and wallet were stolen, indicating that the perpetrator’s sole intent was to end her life.
