Family left heartbroken after Owami Visagie,17, was allegedly raped and killed by her cousin

The family of a 17-year-old Owami Visagie, a grade 11 student from Chipa-Tabane Secondary School in Refilwe, Cullinan, is devastated by her rape and murder, allegedly by a cousin.

Owami Visagie’s body was discovered in a room at a relative’s place on Monday after her family launched a search for her. They had learned that she was last seen with him.

When Owami’s mother entered the cousins’ room, she found her daughter’s lifeless body lying on the floor naked, gagged, and with her hands tied behind her back. Owami was allegedly raped and strangled to death.o

A 30-year-old suspect, who is a cousin of hers, handed himself to the authorities on Monday.

According to TimesLive, Visagie uncle, Peter Mthethwa, expressed shock and rejection of the suspect, stating that he cannot consider him family or allow him back into their home.

“I can’t accept him as my [family]. I can’t let him in my house, I won’t. If the police release him I won’t go next to him. I don’t want to see him again,” he said.

Mthethwa said the family is struggling to comprehend how someone close to them could commit such a heinous act.

“It’s the first time we see this. It’s something we never expected. They were so close that even the girl’s mother used to leave him with her when she went anywhere and tell them to wash the dishes when done eating.

“All he said was, ‘I didn’t do it’. He ran away because he was afraid that when the community caught him they were going to kill him, that’s what he said,” Mthethwa said.

Police spokesperson Lt-Col Mavela Masondo stated that a case of rape and murder has been filed at the Cullinan police station. He verified that a suspect voluntarily surrendered to the police.

Masondo further mentioned that the suspect made an appearance in the Cullinan magistrate’s court on Wednesday.

“We are devastated, we are trying to comfort each other with no success,” Mthethwa said.

Visagie was last seen alive on Sunday evening, shortly after 6 p.m. Concerned when she did not return home, her mother reported her missing to the police later that same night.

 

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