Action Society this week attended court proceedings in the ongoing trial of Adnaan Julies, accused of the brutal murder of his partner, Angela Koopman, in Tafelsig, Mitchell’s Plain.
Koopman, a mother of two children aged 14 and 16 at the time, died after being doused in petrol and set alight. Her death followed what is understood to be a history of domestic and violent incidents involving the accused, with previous cases reportedly withdrawn.
The court this week heard harrowing testimony from the first witness, who was present on the day of the attack.
According to her evidence, Koopman had gone to collect her belongings from the accused earlier that day. She later returned to the witness, where they were together when Julies arrived at the premises.
The witness described how the accused approached while holding a five-litre container filled with petrol. She told the court that he appeared to be in an altered state and stared at Koopman before pouring petrol over her multiple times.
Despite attempts by both women to push him away, the witness testified that he overpowered them. She demonstrated in court how the petrol was thrown and estimated that it was poured approximately four times.
Moments later, Koopman was engulfed in flames.
The witness told the court how she heard Koopman screaming, “I’m burning, I’m burning,” as she ran outside. Community members rushed to assist, eventually extinguishing the flames using a blanket.
Koopman was taken into the house while waiting for emergency services. The ambulance did not arrive immediately, and a fire truck had to call for medical assistance. She was later transported to hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries in the early hours of the following morning.
The court also heard about a Facebook message allegedly sent by the accused expressing remorse. The witness confirmed that screenshots were taken and handed to the investigating officer. The accused denies sending the message.
During cross-examination, the defence questioned the witness on various aspects of her testimony, including her position during the incident, the presence of other witnesses, and the authenticity of the Facebook message. The defence argued that the message may not have originated from the accused, citing multiple social media profiles.
The magistrate further sought clarity on the extent of the petrol spread, the sequence of events, and the witness’s actions during the incident. The matter has been postponed to 7 May 2026, when a second witness is expected to take the stand.
Action Society remains actively involved in supporting Koopman’s family and monitoring the case.
“This is another devastating example of how patterns of intimate partner violence escalate over time and ultimately turn deadly,” said Kaylynn Palm, Head of Action Society’s Action Centre in the Western Cape.
“Too often, there are warning signs. There are prior incidents. There are opportunities to intervene. But when these patterns are not disrupted, the outcome is tragically predictable. If you find yourself in a pattern of abuse, it is critical to seek help and to get out before it is too late.”
Action Society continues to call for greater urgency in addressing domestic violence cases and ensuring that repeat patterns of abuse are recognised and acted upon before lives are lost.
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