Family and friends of 14-year-old Malcolm Booysen gathered on a quiet Brakpan street last Sunday to mark a year since his life was cut short in a tragic crash allegedly caused by a 12-year-old driver.
The memorial, held at the corner of Northdene and Madeley streets on the East Rand in Gauteng, was the first time Malcolm’s loved ones had returned to the exact spot where he was fatally struck.
For his parents, Helen and Quinton Booysen, the anniversary reopened wounds that have barely begun to heal.
“It was not easy,” his mother, Helen, said.
“The first memory that came to my mind was my son lying on the road covered with blankets.
“It felt like I was reliving the day he died, but this time his body was not there, and the car involved in the accident was also not there. I avoid that road completely, if I can.”
The scene remains etched in her memory — the same stretch of tar where her teenage son lost his life after being hit by a car allegedly driven by a 12-year-old boy who is said to have skipped a stop sign before ploughing into him.
According to the family, the boy allegedly failed to stop at the intersection before striking Malcolm and crashing the vehicle into a fence.
Malcolm and his father were walking home when the incident occurred.
Quinton spent his son’s final moments kneeling beside him on the road, praying and pleading with God not to let him die. The trauma of that day has weighed heavily on him ever since.
For a full year, he could not bring himself to visit Malcolm’s gravesite.
Sunday marked the first time he stood at his son’s grave since the funeral. The family also unveiled Malcolm’s tombstone during the visit.
The headstone bears a photograph of Malcolm dressed as his favourite superhero, Batman. It is decorated with Batman wings and an image of the iconic character — a tribute to the young boy who loved the caped crusader.
“It has been very difficult for the family, especially his father, because he was with him at the scene.
“He is completely broken. He wants to go sit and cry his heart out at the grave, but he has not been ready to do that,” Helen said.
Malcolm’s aunt, Merissa Strauss, described the memorial service as deeply emotional.
“My sister and Quinton took it very hard. They cried a lot. It was very difficult, I can’t describe it in words.
“It hit the immediate family of Malcolm very hard. The pain is still raw,” Strauss said.
The grief has been compounded by what the family describes as repeated delays in the culpable homicide case against the 12-year-old boy.
Following Malcolm’s death, the child was arrested and charged with culpable homicide. However, according to Helen, the matter has yet to be resolved.
“The case keeps getting postponed, and we are not kept up to date about the proceedings.”
She said the lack of progress has left the family feeling frustrated and without closure.
“I walked into him a couple of times in town, and he carried on with his life as if nothing happened,” Helen said.
Despite repeated requests for comment, the National Prosecuting Authority had not responded at the time of publication.
Beyond the court delays, everyday milestones have become painful reminders of the life that was lost.
Earlier this year, the family faced what would have been Malcolm’s 15th birthday — a day that instead became another stark marker of absence.
“It was a very difficult day for the family. His parents just wanted to be alone on the day, and we respected that because it must have been very emotional for them.
“Malcolm would have loved that we baked him a cake and celebrated with him,” Strauss said.
For the Booysen family, the passage of time has done little to dull the grief.
Helen says her husband received counselling after the funeral, but she believes he needs more support to process the trauma of witnessing their son’s final moments.
As they stood at the roadside where Malcolm died, surrounded by friends and family, the sense of loss was as acute as ever. The unveiling of the Batman-themed tombstone offered a moment of remembrance — a way to honour the joyful teenager they knew, rather than only the tragedy that claimed him.
Yet the unanswered questions and ongoing court delays continue to hang over them.
One year on, the Booysen family remain caught between remembrance and a justice process that has yet to reach its conclusion.
