Police acted correctly on Deveney Nel crime scene, minister says

Minister of Police Oversight and Community Safety for the Western Cape, Anroux Marais expressed her sympathy with the “almost indescribable and severe trauma Lida Nel and her surviving daughter, Jamie, are going through”.

Lida’s elder daughter, 16-year-old Deveney, was reported missing after a sports day at the Overberg High School in Caledon on Wednesday.

A search party was formed and after looking for her for several hours, her body was found in a storeroom at the school.

Parents of the school, where Deveney was a grade 10 pupil, were informed about her tragic death at around 11pm on Wednesday.

“Lida’s husband and the two girls’ father, Jacques, also recently passed away. It’s almost too much for any human being to bear and my heart goes out to them,” Marais told The Citizen.

‘Investigation in the best hands’

Marais continued to say that the events surrounding Deveney’s death are not yet certain. “I can assure you that this investigation is in some of the best hands in the Western Cape police service, namely the serious and violent crime unit. The unit’s commander, Brigadier Leon Hanana, is personally in charge.”

According to Marais, the unit is currently following up on several strong leads.

“They can obviously not answer the questions on operational detail asked for in a letter from Cape Form, as this could inadvertently help the perpetrator.”

These questions, according to Marais, include allegations that the scene was prematurely taken over by the district command unit, that the local ambulance was initially denied access to the scene, and that the scene appeared to be “cleaned up”. Allegations were also raised about the person who was in possession of the deceased’s mobile phone and the person who discovered the body not being immediately questioned.

‘No loophole must be left’

“All of these issues can be very important, and I will personally follow them up with the relevant police officers if they remain unanswered.

“I realise that it’s not the easiest thing in light of the horrific nature of the events, the wide, honest and understandable upset in the community and especially the family, and the necessity of law and justice. However, it’s especially important now that the police are given the space to be able to do their work so that the perpetrator can be caught and successfully prosecuted.”

According to Marais, this means that the police’s work must be done carefully and thoroughly, without leaving loopholes for the accused later in court.

“Although the insistence on quick results is understandable, certain caution in the interest of law and justice, which will be based on factual evidence, not rumours, is important.”

‘Contamination of the crime scene cannot be allowed’

As for the alleged failure by the police in Caledon to assist Deveney’s mother, Marais says she will personally see to it that it is investigated and, if it turns out to be the case, that the relevant policemen are brought to book.

“No complaint about this has been lodged with the police in Caledon so far. Regarding the dissatisfaction about the mother who was not allowed on the scene to prevent contamination, the police acted correctly. The upset about it, humanly speaking, is of course understandable.

“If it could be successfully argued in a court that the strict rules on contamination of a crime scene were not fully complied with, this would harm the prosecution and prevent justice,” Marais concluded.

Cape Forum raises concerns about investigation

The Citizen reported on Monday that Heinrich Wyngaard, Executive Chairman of the civil organisation Cape Forum, expressed his concern about issues regarding the investigation.

“Cape Forum believes that clarity on these issues will help see the murderer of the young Deveney Nel be apprehended and that justice will prevail,” Wyngaard wrote.

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