Community marks 10 years since murder of Franziska Blochliger

Dozens of people gathered at Tokai Park in Cape Town on Saturday to commemorate the death of Franziska Blochliger.

Today marks ten years since the 16-year-old was raped and murdered.

Blochliger’s death made headlines after community members frantically searched for her when she was reported missing while jogging, before her body was found in fynbos.

Following an extensive community search that stretched into the night, her brutalised body was found later in thick fynbos.

Speaking at the memorial event, Parkscape’s Nikki Schmidt says she arrived at the scene shortly after Blochliger’s body was found.

“I arrived probably about an hour after they had found her body. I had come to walk my dogs and I saw the flashing blue lights. Then a friend walked towards me and she just mouthed the word ‘dead.’”

The organisation also tied ribbons around Blochliger’s commemorative cross.

Her rapist and murderer, Howard Oliver, was later sentenced to life imprisonment for two counts of rape, murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances, after robbing her of her cellphone, diamond ring and earphones.