Grief-stricken family cries for their child

“She was my everything and I don’t know how I am going to live without my child.”

These are the words of grief-stricken mother Claudia Koch as she tries desperately to come to terms with the death of her only child, six-year-old daughter Chené Pretorius.

Chené died on April 20 (GCN, May 1) after the sliding gate at Slimkoppe Aftercare Centre in Sunnyridge fell on her.

The lively Laerskool Oosterkruin Grade One pupil was a ray of sunshine in her parents, Claudia and Carl Pretorius’ lives.

Now her parents are left searching for answers as to exactly what happened that day.

“We have heard so many different stories, we don’t know what to believe,” Carl said.

Claudia added that if the school would just come forward and tell them the truth as to what had happened that day they would at least be able to get some sort of closure.

Even though Carl visited the aftercare centre to speak to the principal, Chené’s parents are still no closer to finding any answers.

“When I got there, I noticed two young girls playing near the gate, and there were no teachers around to supervise them.

“I had to go inside to find teachers.” Carl said.

“When we enrolled her in the aftercare centre at the beginning of the year, things seemed fine.

“She always came home with her homework done and we hadn’t experienced any problems.”

Claudia told the GCN how Chené would write her a love letter every day.

“She would call me and say there was a surprise for me on my pillow and I would go and look, and find a letter from her,” Claudia said.

“She had a great love for music, dance, poems and drawing.”

Chené was doing well in her first year of school, and the Friday before she died she was so pleased as she had been awarded six stars and was allowed to wear civvies to school.

“Every time she got a star she would say that daddy owed her a special treat and Carl would get her an ice-cream,” Claudia said.

Chené’s step-granny Charleen Wildman told the GCN how Chené was so good at doing her own hair.

“I have never seen a child that young be able to do her hair with such skill,” she said.

The youngster loved to be independent and liked doing things for herself.

She was very popular among her peers and had lots of friends.

Chené loved animals, especially her hamster Pipsqueak.

“She was always hugging people and was very friendly,” Claudia said.

The night before Chené died, Claudia said they enjoyed a very special evening.

“On the Sunday night, my husband Werner blow-dried our hair for us and then Chené put cream on me.

“She said ‘Mommy, this is lekker family time’ and then she went on to eat all her dinner, even asking for carrots which she doesn’t like,” Claudia said.

“She normally just picks at her food, but that night she really enjoyed it.”

After dinner, mom and daughter snuggled up and watched a movie together.

“When I put her in bed and kissed her goodnight on the cheek, she asked me to kiss her again.

“She then asked that every time I walked past her room that evening would I come and kiss her,” Claudia said.

“I eventually went and fetched her and put her in my bed, and we snuggled up the whole night.”

Now Claudia and Carl have to face the reality that they will never be able to hug their daughter again.

Claudia said that she will start writing letters to her child and put them in her room, as well as speak and sing to her to help her come to terms with her grief.

“When the accident happened, the aftercare centre called and said I should go straight to Life Roseacres Clinic.

“At that point I could just feel that my child was gone,” Claudia said.

The distraught mother at first couldn’t even remember how to get to the hospital even though she lives nearby in Primrose.

She eventually had to stop and ask someone for directions.

“My baby was just lying there, so hurt, that I couldn’t even hold her,” sobbed Claudia.

“All I could do was kiss her.

“I kissed her feet and her tummy and her lips, but I was too late.”

Carl and Claudia said that Laerskool Oosterkruin has been incredibly supportive of them, especially Chené’s teacher.

“They even put a teddy bear on her chair and all her classmates wrote us letters,” Carl said.

A case has been opened with the Primrose police and Sgt Styles Maome, the communications officer at the station, told the GCN that the matter is currently under investigation.

The GCN also made contact with the aftercare centre, but the principal refused to comment.

Claudia and Werner said that they have been contacted by a company, and in partnership with them, the company is going to set up a safety awareness programme called Project Chené, which will focus on safety issues, like sliding gates at homes and schools.

“It is important that parents are made aware of these safety issues to help prevent more accidents of this nature,” Claudia said.

Little Chené was laid to rest last Friday in the Brakpan Cemetery, the town in which her father Carl lives.

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Gate kills Laerskool Oosterkruin Grade One pupil