Cape Town - The new year has started tragically for a Delft family, after a 16-year-old pregnant Jamie-Lee Martinus was fatally stabbed in the neck by a drunk man allegedly unknown to her.
According to friends of Martinus, who said they witnessed the attack, the incident took place after midnight on New Year’s Day. The witnesses claim they were outside shooting fireworks.
One witness said: “We went to the shop to buy more (fireworks). Jamie-Lee was standing with someone about a house away from the shop because she was struggling to light her 100-shooters and while they were struggling, a drunk man approached them from behind and grabbed the 100-shooter from her.
“She grabbed it back and the 100-shooter probably went against him then he pushed her. She fell on her stomach. She got up and confronted the man asking ‘Bhuti, why do you push a pregnant woman’ and the man responded something in Xhosa about pregnant woman and next thing he pulled out a pocket knife and stabbed her in the neck. We did not know at first that she was stabbed, we just saw the blood on her white dress. The community chased him and we threw him with bricks and he ran away. He was also walking with a small child.”
Police spokesperson, Wesley Twigg, said a murder case was registered for investigation.
“We can confirm that an adult male was arrested in connection with the murder and will appear in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court once he has been charged. According to reports, the victim was stabbed by a man who argued with her and was taken to a medical facility in a private vehicle where she later died. The incident was reported to police on Thursday, January 2.”
Jacky Ockhuizen from the Delft Community Policing Forum (CPF) said: “Delft CPF seriously condemns this attack on his young girl who was really innocent during this attack. A skeleton docket was opened by SAPS and eight hours later the suspect was arrested and is currently in custody.”
Martinus’s family declined to comment on Monday.