The family of Cytheria Rex, the 17-year-old who was subjected to a horrific gang assault and murder in Kraaifontein 16 years ago, has suffered yet another setback. Just as they were on the cusp of seeing her killers sentenced, the presiding Magistrate and an attorney have been hospitalised, causing further delays in this already protracted case.
The sentencing date was scheduled to be decided on 20 June 2025, but the court was informed that key members of the judicial team were unable to proceed due to illness.
Eric Ntabazalila, Regional Communications for the National Prosecuting Authority, confirmed the postponement, stating: “Please note that the case was postponed until July 11, 2025 for the Magistrate and judicare lawyer. On the day, the court was advised that the magistrate in the court was admitted to hospital and one of the Judicare attorneys was also admitted to hospital.”
For Cytheria’s mother, Jacqueline Rex, the news is another painful delay in her long quest for closure. "It is worrying that the Magistrate is in hospital," she said. "I will remain positive, there is a reason for everything. I am going to trust God…” Despite the disappointment, she remains resolute in her faith that justice will ultimately prevail.
The case has been plagued by delays from the outset. The sentencing was initially scheduled for 21 February of this year, but was held up by the outstanding probation report which was finally submitted including testimonials and statements from her family members.
Virgil Sass, Oswill Grootboom, Imeraan Hendricks, Lee Cloete, and Rhonwan Rhode, who were convicted in November 2024 of Cytheria's February 2009 murder, made their latest appearance at the Strand Magistrates’ Court on 20 June 2025.
The case has been hit with several delays including the death of two accused and was postponed for more than 115 times during its time on the court roll and is believed to be the longest-running trial in history in South Africa.
The brutal crime occurred in February 2009 when Cytheria, just 17 years old, attended a party where she and her friends were cooking potjiekos. She was subjected to a horrific gang assault, stabbed approximately 40 times, and nearly every bone in her body was broken. Her body was then compressed into a drum and dumped in a park just a street away from her parents' house in Eikendal, Kraaifontein.
Jacqueline Rex remembers her daughter excitedly telling her about the party she would attend on the Thursday evening before her death.
Initially, seven young men were arrested and directly linked to her death: Virgil Sass, Oswill Grootboom, Imeraan Hendricks, Lee Cloete, Rhonwan Rhode, Keenan Lewis, and Warren Robertson. However, the case dragged on for years, repeatedly postponed due to the men frequently changing their legal representation.
Tragically, two of the accused, Lewis and Robertson, have since died. It was their DNA that was found on Cytheria's underwear, providing crucial evidence in the case.
When Rex arrived at court on 29 November for the verdict, she emotionally distanced herself from the proceedings, because she "didn't want to relive the same pain from the past 16 years".
She recounts that at one point she was ready to lose hope that her daughter's murderers would be brought to justice. Even their attorney made her anxious when, just minutes before the verdict, he sat next to her in court and told her they would be acquitted.
"He mentioned that the case could be dismissed. As is human nature, anxiety overcame me. It felt like my heart and throat tightened. I just prayed and said, ‘Lord, let Your will be done'."
Then the verdict came: Cytheria Rex's murderers were found guilty of her rape and murder. Rex didn't even hear the words.
"Hearing it again opens old wounds. The crime scene photo where her body lay brings back sorrow and pain. I don't want to see it. One never recovers from it; the pain remains forever."
Rex says after realising that her daughter's murderers were found guilty, she began to cry uncontrollably. She was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. On the one hand, she cried out of joy, and on the other, over the pain experienced by the parents of her daughter's murderers.
"I feel sorry for the parents, because I don't want to see my child in jail, but if he did wrong, he must pay for his actions. I cried as if someone had handed me a life sentence. I was glad in my heart that it was over and done. I forgave them and it helped me get through this."
Although Rex's heart goes out to her daughter's murderers, she says they have never shown any remorse, and she still wants to know what could have driven them to such a cruel act.
"I would throw away the key! They acted as if they had done nothing. They didn't have the right to kill my child – and in such a manner. What was the motive? What was the reason they did it? It hurts to think about why they would do it. They knew each other. It shows you can't trust anyone, even your best friend."
As the case is postponed once again, the community waits with bated breath, hoping that the legal system will finally deliver justice for Cytheria Rex and provide some measure of peace for her grieving family. The sentencing is now scheduled for July 11, 2025, but with the health of key personnel uncertain, the wait continues.
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