Jerobejin van Wyk’s mother says his death had devastating impact on her family

CAPE TOWN - The mother of murdered Klawer teenager, Jerobejin van Wyk, said his death has had a devastating impact on her family.

There were some emotional outbursts in the High Court sitting in Vredendal on Tuesday, where Triesa van Wyk had a letter read out by a family spokesperson during sentencing proceedings.

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Thirteen-year-old Jerobejin was killed in Klawer in February 2022, after Daniel Smit accused him and a friend of stealing fruit from his property.

Earlier this week, the court found him guilty on charges of premeditated murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, violating a corpse, and defeating the ends of justice.

Van Wyk said her heart was still broken and she's unsure if it would ever heal.

She said that since Jerobejin's brutal and cruel death, her daughter has dropped out of school and had begun living recklessly.

The teen's grandmother's health also rapidly deteriorated after the tragedy. She's since passed away.

Van Wyk said she still had sleepless nights, as when she closed her eyes, she could still hear her child calling out for her.

The heartbroken mother said on the day she had visited the mortuary, she, at the very least, expected to view her son's body, only to find a small plastic bag with a few body parts.

She said she would never forgive the accused.

Smit will be sentenced on Monday.