Cape Town - Thousands of Kraaifontein residents have joined Rhucian-Kay Lawak’s family in calling for justice for their daughter, who was murdered allegedly by her former partner while lying next to their 2-year-old daughter.
In anticipation of Lawak’s alleged killer’s reappearance in the Blue Down’s Magistrate’s Court on Friday, residents and anti-gender-based violence activists have drawn up a petition – demanding that the accused be denied bail and that he remain behind bars for the duration of the trial.
Rhucian-Kay’s sister Iderick Lawak said while the family was still struggling to come to terms with the gruesome murder of their daughter and sibling, they were hoping and praying that justice would be served, and the suspect denied bail on Friday.
“Our family is going through a very difficult time, I don’t think there is any easy way of getting over what happened to Rhucian. The way he killed her, so violently, no one deserves that, let alone my sister. So yes, we will be going to court the day he is due, we need to see to it that he pays for his crime and justice served,” said Iderick Lawak.
Founder and coordinator of NGO Ubuntu Rural Women and Youth Movement, and the Sisterhood Movement, Wendy Pekeur said she had started the petition in support of the late 28-year-old, whose life was cut short in a gruesome murder.
“The petition is our way of demonstrating that we are opposing that the perpetrator be granted bail – not only in this case, but in all gender-based violence GBV cases. This is to send a message to perpetrators that they will not get away with murdering our young women, vulnerable children, or their partners.
“We also wanted to show the prosecutors that our eyes and attention are focused on these cases and that we will see to it that justice prevails. I just read that 161 cases were thrown out in the Western Cape, due to the lack of evidence as a result of a backlog in DNA tests. The system is supposed to work in favour of the victim – not further traumatising them or their surviving families. Enough is enough!” said Pekeur.