Dad MARIUS VAN DER WESTHUIZEN has murdered his 3 children, ages 16 years, 5 years, and 21 months. The mother survives--but with tremendous grief.
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'I couldn't protect them'
September 24 2009 at 08:10AM
By Karen Breytenbach
Justice Writer
With colourful toys and outfits her three children loved beside her, a mother has described her inconsolable grief at their being murdered by their father, Marius van der Westhuizen, and has asked the Western Cape High Court to imprison the former policeman for life.
Police Captain Charlotte van der Westhuizen said she felt it important to describe the unique characteristics of her children, Bianca "Sussie", 16, Marius Eben "Boetie", five and Antoinette "Nettie Bettie", 21 months, to remind the court that the case was about real lives snuffed out, and not only about her and her husband.
Bianca's favourite colour was red, she was proud and strong-willed, and loved colouring in. Marius Eben was a playful "little terrorist" who always listened to his teacher and, if given sweets, would offer these to his sisters first.
Van der Westhuizen said she wanted to stand up for her children
Antoinette, "mommy's little lookalike", had learnt from her sister to put her diaper in the bin and, if given a sweet, always wanted another.
Van der Westhuizen said she wanted to stand up for her children, something she had been unable to do on the Friday night of July 28, 2006, when "the father they loved and trusted" shot each in the head with his service pistol as they slept in their beds.
She said she spoke not only on her own behalf, but also for her children's grieving grandparents, cousins and friends.
"That day at 5.15pm I was out in my uniform protecting the community, but that night at 9.45pm I couldn't protect my children. I feel so useless and stupid. I have a brown belt in karate, but above all, I am a mommy. I froze."
Van der Westhuizen saw her husband walking through the house and shooting each child. She saw an apparition of the eldest taking the baby's hand.
"I thought, 'Marius, it's okay my son, take your sister's hand, mommy will be there soon'." But, to her surprise and horror, her husband returned her cellphone - which he had taken from her earlier - left the house and locked her inside with the dead children. To this day she is afraid of locked gates.
Yet, she is determined to stay in the house, full of memories and smells, until justice prevails.
Van der Westhuizen said she had "dreadful nightmares" and sometimes could not get out of bed in the morning.
She had attempted suicide, once on Mother's Day, to join her children.
A particularly painful experience was seeing her children in their coffins after the post-mortems.
"What I saw there is inexcusable. Bianca had a large hole in her head. I put her colouring book and a 'red na' (KitKat) in the coffin. My psychologist was there with me. I couldn't turn away, because I knew once I greeted Bianca I would have to greet the others.
"Boetie's skull was skew. I put his Spinneman (Spiderman) soft toy and a P.S. I Love You chocolate in his coffin.
"I dressed Nettie Bettie in a white dress. Then I saw the post-mortem cut, down my baby's body. It's not right, Your Honour."
Van der Westhuizen said it was torture to be in church during babies' baptisms and out in public where children called out for their mothers. She attempted being a Sunday school teacher in 2007, but when a little blonde girl who had lost her father sat on her lap, she became upset when she imagined the child's father in heaven with her children on his lap.
She was worried she would struggle at work, but it gave her purpose and was her "reclaim strategy". Not having been able to help her children, she was now determined to help others.
Occasionally, she would be unnerved when she heard the familiar click when officers cocked their firearms.
As her husband sobbed, Van der Westhuizen showed the court some of her children's favourite items.
Defence attorney Milton de la Harpe declined to cross-examine her, but was instructed to express "sincere remorse".
Johan Brand, provincial head of detective services, said 95 percent of all child murders were committed in the home.
He said a lot of psychological help was available to the police. He felt only a life sentence would serve as a deterrence to family violence as it was impossible to patrol people's homes.
The case continues on Monday.