The day before her 15th birthday, Laticia Jansen’s lifeless, half-naked body was found in Elsburg.
According to an Elsburg police report (GCN, January 31), her body was discovered next to the bank of a river which runs between the N17 highway and Brug Street.
“The victim’s body was covered with a bulk bag,” said Const Daphney Phooko, communications officer for the Elsburg SAPS.
“She was last seen last Wednesday between 7.30am and 8am in Voortrekker Street in the Elsburg CBD.”
She had allegedly been raped.
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The GCN visited her devastated family in van Lingen Street, Dukathole, to find out more about the girl behind the headlines.
“For her birthday, she would’ve enjoyed some birthday cake and cooldrinks with her family,” said Aaliyah Nelson, Laticia’s cousin and best friend.
“That was how she always celebrated her birthday.”
Laticia, one of 12 grandchildren, was described by her grandmother, Lynette Jansen, as a family-orientated young woman who loved children.
“She would almost always be with the family,” said Lynette.
Aaliyah agreed, “We would spend most of our time together,” she said.
“We would tease each other, she would tell me I’m fat and I would tell her she was skinny.
“We would take loads of selfies because I am a self-confessed selfie freak, and make silly videos.
“We just had fun.”
Aaliyah further explained that Laticia could never be cross with people.
“Even if you were fighting and shouting at her she would just laugh at you,” said Aaliyah.
“You would say to her ‘it’s not funny’, but she would just keep laughing.
“She just tried to make the best out of any situation.”
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When asked what Laticia hoped to be when she was older, Whitney Barnes, her neighbour and friend, said, “A doctor.
“She loved school, and was always playing school-school in the yard and loved teaching the younger children.”
Aaliyah agreed, “As soon as she got home she’d do her homework,” she said.
“While the other children went out and played she’d take her books, I’d take my books and we’d do our homework.
“Then when we were done we’d eat.”
Aaliyah and Laticia also shared a love of food.
“We’d eat a lot,” said Aaliyah.
“We loved food.”
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Laticia, her sister Liyanda (20) and brothers Dino (17) and Lerenzo (7) lost their mother two years ago.
“Though she was sad at the loss of her mother, I spoke to her and her siblings about it and she was able to come to terms with it,” explained Lynette.
Aaliyah explained sometimes she’d miss her mom and shed some tears.
When Laticia didn’t come home from school, Aaliyah said she knew immediately something was wrong.
“She doesn’t have friends who live outside of the community,” said Aaliyah.
“I know her and I know her friends.
“At the age of 14 going on 15 years old most teenagers are dating, but Laticia didn’t date.
“When people would tease her and ask her ‘when are you going to get a man?’ she would say she wanted to finish school first and then she’d find a boyfriend and get married.
“She just was that kind of person.”
Aaliyah said when Laticia didn’t come home she really started to panic.
“She would never stay away from home without telling her grandmother where she was,” added Whitney.
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Lynette was also panicked when Laticia didn’t return home from school and started searching for her.
“I went to the school and asked if she had been at school that day,” said Lynette.
“I was told no.
“The school asked if she was perhaps at a friend or another family member, so I explained I know all her friends and I am her only family here.
“They then told me to go to the police station and I explained I was on my way to the police station, I just wanted to make sure if she had made it to school or not.”
Lynette explained that she knew the routes the children took to school if they were left behind by their transport, but never realised the danger.
She then visited the Elsburg Police Station, where she opened a missing person’s case.
“The police didn’t help us, from the moment we opened the case to when we found the body,” said Lynette.
“When we asked the police to help us search the area they said they would search the area and get back to us, but they would not come out with us to search.”
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Aaliyah said that despite telling the police how dangerous the area was, they refused to come and search the area.
“All the police wanted was a photo of Laticia,” said Aaliyah.
“They wouldn’t accept cellphone photos even though we explained that these were the only photos we had available.
“They told us to come back the next day.”
However, by the next day the family, with the help of their dogs, had found Laticia’s body.
“After the incident, police questioned Laticia’s brother Dino when he tried to explain that he believed the suspects had come from behind,” said Lynette.
“They asked him how he knew – did he have something to do with it?”
Aaliyah and Whitney questioned how the police could ask him such a question after the death of his sister.
“He was just giving an opinion on what he thought happened,” said Whitney.
The family still struggle to sleep at night.
“It is hard because we saw what they did to her.
“We will lie together and tell jokes so that we don’t focus on what is happening,” Aaliyah explained.
“Because if we keep quiet someone will to start to cry and then we will all start crying.
“We fall asleep comforting each other.”
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The family and her friends hold onto their fond memories, photos and videos of Laticia and remember the kind, happy and bubbly person she was.
“I will always remember Laticia’s smile,” said Whitney.
“She was so kind and never had a bad thing to say about anyone.
“She was just a free spirit.”
Aaliyah said she will miss her laugh and how the pair would playfully tease each other.
Lynette hopes the police will find ways of working with residents to ensure the safety of the community.
A funeral was held for Laticia on Saturday in Dukathole.
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Contact the newsroom by emailing: Melissa Hart (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za, Leigh Hodgson (News Editor) leighh@caxton.co.za
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