CHILD IN CONFLICT WITH THE LAW HANDED MAXIMUM SENTENCE

17 OCTOBER 2025

CHILD IN CONFLICT WITH THE LAW HANDED MAXIMUM SENTENCE

Cape Town, South Africa; The High Court of South Africa: Western Cape Division has sentenced a child in conflict with the law to an effective 25-year direct imprisonment following his conviction for the murder of Deveney Nel and an attempt to defeat the course of justice. In this case, 25 years of direct imprisonment is the maximum sentence the accused could receive under the law.

The accused, through his legal representative, approached the State with an offer to enter into a plea and sentence agreement. He confessed to the murder of Nel, an attempt to hide her body, and he was sentenced to 25 years' direct imprisonment for the murder and 12 months' direct imprisonment for the attempt to defeat the course of justice. The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently, effectively sentencing him to 25 years' direct imprisonment. Both her mother, Lida Nel and the investigating officer, Detective Warrant Officer Louw, were consulted before the sentence agreement was concluded, and they agreed with the sentence. In his plea and sentence agreement, the 18-year-old accused told the court that on the day, Thursday,07 August 2024, he was on first aid duties at his school during a sports event. He is a qualified level 3 Advanced First Aid Emergency Responder and a senior member of the school’s first aid team. The deceased was part of the first aid team. They were friends and knew each other well. She was in a lower grade than him at school. He was 17 years old, and she was 16 years old.

Around 15:45, he asked her if she would assist at the netball courts, and she agreed. He accompanied her. He claims they became intimate in the school’s storeroom, and she told him after that she had cheated on her new boyfriend with him. He did not know she had a boyfriend, and this made him upset. He throttled her, and she became weak and fell to the ground. He took out a knife he had in his jacket pocket and stabbed her in the neck and chest. He aimed for her major arteries, intending to cause her death. He stabbed her four times - twice in the neck and twice in the chest. She fought back and then just became still.

When he was done, she showed no signs of life, as he had checked her pulse. He decided to hide her body in the back part of the storeroom and pulled her body along the floor. He then took her cellphone as he returned to his first aid duties and put it in the back of a bakkie that was parked in the parking lot. He did this to mislead the people and the police, as he knew people would be looking for her soon. He intended to divert any investigation away from him.

The deceased was supposed to get a lift home with his mother. People started looking for her, and he assisted in the search for her. Police were contacted; they arrived and joined the search. The deceased’s cellphone was recovered and handed over to the police. Her body was later found in the storeroom where he had left it. He went home, and a few days later, the police interviewed him as he was the last person to be seen with her before she went missing. He decided to tell the police what had happened. His mother was present when he relayed to the police what had happened.

In the aggravating factors, State Adv Leon Snyman told the court that the accused murdered the deceased at school, a place where children are supposed to be safe. He used excessive violence, stabbed her with so much force that her left lung collapsed, and the blade perforated the right ventricle of her heart. The motivation offered for the killing is indicative of toxic masculinity. The high level of disregard for human life shown at such a young age by the accused is worrisome. The family of the deceased is traumatised by the offence, and her mother will never fully recover from this loss. THERE is a public outcry against the high levels of serious and violent crime against women in South Africa.

Gender violence is a pandemic affecting our society. The accused attempted to mislead the police and hide his actions. As part of his sentence, the court declared him unfit to possess a firearm under Section 103 of the Firearms Control Act, Act 60 of 2000.

Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Adv Nicolette Bell, approved the court's sentence and praised Adv Snyman and Detective Warrant Officer Louw for their efforts in delivering justice for the deceased, her mother, her family, and community members who supported the family outside court. “The accused has been sentenced in accordance with the applicable legal framework. In terms of the law, 25 years' imprisonment is the maximum sentence the court could impose in this case. I am pleased that we have finalised this matter and hope that this sentence provides some closure for Deveney’s mother and her family. Gender-based violence and femicide have no place in our society, and it is for this reason that my office will continue to vigorously prosecute such cases to ensure justice for victims.”

Issued by:

Eric Ntabazalila

National Prosecuting Authority

Regional Communications Manager – Western Cape

Tel: (021) 487 7308

Mobile: 073 062 1222