Convicted murderer still free 10 years after sentencing

Despite the Constitutional Court dismissing an appeal against her life sentence, a Pietermaritzburg woman convicted of murdering her mother-in-law is still fighting to stay out of prison 10 years after she was sentenced.

Rooksana Karrim was sentenced to life by Judge Anna-Marie de Vos in 2002 for masterminding the murder of Ayesha Fazel-Ellah, 63, at her home in Piet Retief, Mpumalanga.

Karrim had exhausted all avenues to stay out of prison, by unsuccessfully applying for leave to appeal.

She then sought and obtained leave to appeal from the Supreme Court of Appeal. But her appeal was dismissed on December 11 2007. She was then granted special leave to appeal by the SCA, and her application was again dismissed on November 30 last year.

She turned to the Constitutional Court, where her application was also dismissed in February.

A warrant for her arrest was issued on February 14 but she has not yet been arrested.

Ellah's family says they are struggling to find closure because Karrim was not paying for her crime.

Piet Retief police spokesman Sergeant Gerald Sedibe said they were still trying to trace Karrim.

Correctional services spokesman Zacharia Modise said sentenced offenders were expected to hand themselves to a correctional facility within 48 hours after an appeal against their sentence failed.