Louise de Waal's mother wishes suffering on 'Sunday Rapist'

19 September 2012 - 14:26 By Sapa
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Shireen de Waal, mother of the murdered Louise, is comforted by one of her sons, Justin, at the memorial service for Louise at her school in Roodepoort. File photo.
Shireen de Waal, mother of the murdered Louise, is comforted by one of her sons, Justin, at the memorial service for Louise at her school in Roodepoort. File photo.

The mother of a Roodepoort teenager who was killed by the man dubbed the 'Sunday Rapist' says that she wishes him a billion times more suffering than she has experienced.

Shireen de Waal, the mother of Louise de Waal, took to the stand in the High Court sitting in Alberton to testify in aggravation of the sentencing of her daughter's killer, Johannes Jacobus Steyn.

In a letter to Steyn, she said: "You are the most despicable, disgusting human being... You've managed to destroy my life and those of many young girls... You took her life in the most horrible way."

Looking in Steyn's direction, Shireen said she wished he never found peace.

"May you never find peace and forgiveness in the Bible you carry to court...

"I take pleasure in knowing you'll never know your son. I'll miss my daughter's matric dance, 18th and 21st birthday, her wedding and first baby, but my daughter is dead: your son is alive."

Steyn's son shares a birthday with the girl he murdered.

"How would you feel if it was your son who was murdered in that manner?" she asked.

The court heard that De Waal had lost her job and home since losing her daughter. She was on medication.

A social worker, who testified earlier, said Steyn's victims were permanently scarred.

Annelie Olivier said there were likely other victims, who were too scared to come forward.

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