Parolee Convicted For Kidnapping, Rape And Murder

The High Court of South Africa: Western Cape Division convicted Jacobus Petoors on charges of kidnapping, rape and murder of an eight-year-old Tulbagh boy, a few months after his release on parole for a similar crime.

Petoors, 55, pleaded guilty to the three charges and the court convicted him immediately.  The court then rolled over the case to tomorrow, 27 January 2022, for sentencing after hearing arguments in aggravation and mitigation of sentence.

The state alleges that Reagan Gertse was seen in the company of Petoors on the morning of 29 February 2020. On that day, the boy was invited to the party of Amelia Booysen at Blesbok Street, Tulbagh, scheduled to start at 4pm. He attended the party but left after half-an-hour. Between 5pm and 6pm, that day he was again seen in Petoors’ company. He did not return home that evening and his family started to get concerned. A search party was formed and a search for the missing boy ensued. It continued on the morning of 1 March 2020 and later his body was found in nearby bushes.

In his plea explanation Petoors confessed that on 29 February 2020 he visited the NG Kerk to do his community service which was part of his parole conditions. He did not find anyone at the church as he arrived late. As he walked back home, he saw Reagan Gertse at his home. He knew the boy as he stayed a few houses from the house he shared with his late brother, Kennels Petoors. He called Gertse and told him that he planned to go for a swim at the local river as it was hot that day. He alleges that the boy requested to go with.

On their way to the river, he saw a woman walking with a boy. The boy accompanying the woman called Gertse. The deceased wanted to go with the boy and the woman but he fell. Petoors grabbed him, placed his arm around his neck and instructed him to go with. When they arrived at the river, he raped him. The deceased, asked to go home but Petoors refused to let him go.

Petoors dragged him closer to the river and pressed his head into the ground until he stopped moving. He then picked up his body and placed it near some trees with his face facing down. He then went home. Gertse’s mother, Louisa Gertse, confronted Petoors about the whereabouts of her son but he denied knowing where the deceased was. The mother told him that someone from the community saw him with her son. On 1 March 2020, police arrested Petoors.

He admits knowing what he did was wrong and that his actions caused the death of the deceased. He told the court that he regretted what he did to Gertse and his family, asked for forgiveness and that he took full responsibility.

In her heads of arguments in aggravation of sentence, Advocate Maresa Engelbrecht, told the court that Gertse’s murder forms part of the scourge of child murders that is plaguing the Western Cape and the South African community in its entirety.

“The accused was convicted of rape and assault with intendent to do serious bodily harm on 24 July 2012 committed on 29 October 2011. He was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment and was released on parole only three months before he committed these crimes.

“Rape is always an appalling act, but the rape of a child under the age of 16 years, in this case eight years old, is viewed in a particularly serious light because children are vulnerable and ill–equipped to protect themselves against sexual predators. There is an unacceptable level of violent crimes in our communities and especially against children, women and the elderly.

“The accused needs to be removed from the community as he contributed to the very unacceptable high levels of crime in our country,” she closed her argument.

She then asked the court to impose a life imprisonment as there were no mitigating factors. “The accused did plead guilty but he had no choice due to the fact that his DNA was found on the scrotum and pants of the deceased.”

Petoors is currently serving the remainder of his 12- year sentence which is 1 604 days.

Note: The NPA’s media statements are available on the website: www.npa.gov.za

Issued by:
Eric Ntabazalila
National Prosecuting Authority
Regional Communications Manager
Western Cape
Tel: (021) 487 7308Mobile: 073 062 1222
Email: entabazalila@npa.gov.za