Basson Jewinin

Age 10. Thinus Bailey was targeted and killed alongside two other young children from the community, ten-year-old Jewiniun Basson and thirteen-year-old Renwill Gertse. The children were subjected to a vicious and fatal assault before their bodies were hidden in the area.Following rapid community outcries and an intensive local law enforcement investigation, the South African Police Service tracked down the perpetrator responsible for the triple homicide. The attacker was arrested, formally charged, and subsequently brought before the court, where he was convicted of the murders and sentenced to life imprisonment. Proving the deep societal impact of the tragedy, the case later became a focal point for the Department of Correctional Services' Victim-Offender Dialogue rehabilitation program. Years into the life sentence, the killer formally confessed face-to-face to Louise Rabie, the mother of the ten-year-old victim, seeking spiritual absolution for the brutal crime. A public memorial headstone was officially unveiled at the Dysselsdorp Cemetery to honor the memory of Thinus Bailey and the two other slain boys.