Cape Town - A Scottsdene family is mourning the death of their daughter after she was allegedly stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend on Wednesday evening while lying next to their 2-year-old daughter.
Kraaifontein police are investigating the murder of 28-year-old Ruchian-Kay Lawak. Lawak was allegedly stabbed to death multiple times by the father of her only child in her flat at the Scottsdene Rental Estate in Kraaifontein.
Lawak’s family said the young mother was allegedly murdered by her former partner for breaking up and refusing to get back with him because of his abusive ways.
A spokesperson for the family said while the family was struggling to come to terms with the senseless murder of their beloved daughter, the incident on Wednesday wasn’t the first time her then-boyfriend had tried to attack her.
Estate manager Niklaas Koopman said: “Today is a very sombre day. There is no amount of comfort you can give a parent, a brother or sister who has lost their loved ones to violence like this. Ruchian was a sweet young woman. She was kind and respectful, it’s truly tragic that her life was cut short so violently.
Koopman, who attended to the scene where Lawak was killed, vividly described the moments to the Cape Argus.
“Ruchian was murdered sometime just before 8pm. Her mother, who was with her at the time, told us that Ruchian had come home from work complaining about a headache, so she had asked to go and lie down for a bit. She was lying in her room on the bed with her daughter when her boyfriend came in. He went straight to the room.
“A few moments later, Mrs Lawak heard her daughter screaming ’Clyde, stop you’re hurting me’ and then the baby began screaming and crying shortly after. When she went into the room, she saw him stabbing her repeatedly. Mrs Lawak ran out screaming for help, but by the time help came, her son had managed to disarm the boyfriend and was beating him up.
“When people began filing into the house to help, he took the chance to escape and ran out the back door to his flat just next door. He then proceeded to lock himself in the flat with his eldest daughter covered in blood.
“All this while Ruchian got up from the bed and took her daughter to her mother just outside the flat. After handing her baby over she fell unconscious. She never woke up after that.”
“What’s worse is that this wasn’t the first time that young man had abused her; she had come to us for help before, and again about three weeks back when he started threatening to take his own life. We even arranged counselling for him. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Lawak family during this difficult time,” said Koopman.
Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said: “The circumstances surrounding an incident on Wednesday at about 6.15pm in Scottsdene, Kraaifontein, is under investigation.
“A 28-year-old woman sustained multiple stab wounds to the body and was declared deceased by medical personnel. The motive for the attack is domestic violence. A 29-year-old man has since been arrested. Kraaifontein police are investigating the murder.”