Cape Town – Police in the Western Cape have launched a murder investigation after the decomposing body of an unidentified woman was found on Monday in Tulbagh.
According to police, the woman’s body was discovered at about 8am in Station Road.
Provincial police spokesperson, Captain Frederick van Wyk, said police officials received a complaint about a decomposing body found under the bridge.
“On their arrival they found the body of an unknown female in a decomposing state. The circumstances surrounding her death are under investigation.
“A post-mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of death and identity,” van Wyk said.
According to the executive director of the Rural and Farmworkers Development Organisation, Billy Claasen, the woman was found a few hundred metres from where slain 8-year-old Reagan Gertse was found.
On February 29, 2021 Jacobus Petoors kidnapped, raped and murdered 8-year-old Regan Gertse.
Petoors was convicted and sentenced last month.
The court sentenced Petoors to 12 months imprisonment for kidnapping; life imprisonment for rape; and life imprisonment for murder.
The court ordered that the sentence imposed for the kidnapping to run concurrently with the sentence imposed for rape.
Petoors was convicted of rape and assault with intent to do serious bodily harm on July 24, 2012 and on October 29, 2011.
He was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment and released on parole, just three months before Reagan’s death.
This latest incident has rocked the community and Claasen said there a suspicion as to who the unidentified victim is.
“We believe that this body might be that of a young 26-year old woman who went missing a few weeks ago, but this needs to be confirmed.
“We condemn this incident, because gender-based violence has become rampant.
“Too many young girls and children are killed. It’s like a wave that has hit us that just does not stop,” Claasen said.
He said poverty-stricken communities have been struck by brutal killings over the past few weeks, which has raised deep concern.
“In many cases in the past weeks, women were attacked by people who were out on bail or parole. We want these culprits to be removed from our society. They must remain behind bars without parole,” Claasen said.
Police are appealing anyone with information pertaining to the incident to contact the investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Marlon Cupido on 079 894 0192 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
IOL