A 19-year-old Grabouw woman died in hospital after she was allegedly attacked with a panga while walking home in Snake Park during the early hours of Saturday morning.
Fredeline Koen was with her brother, Fredericko Koen, her boyfriend and another friend when the attack happened in William Street at about 04:00 on 7 November.
Her brother said the group had been drinking at a house in the area before deciding to leave. Fredeline walked ahead as they made their way home, while Fredericko spoke to someone they met along the road.
He said he eventually became concerned about the distance between them and told Fredeline’s boyfriend to run after her. Fredericko also started running to catch up.
As they approached a corner, the group came across a horrifying scene.
“When I had enough to drink, I asked her to come home with me. Her boyfriend and another friend who was with us were also ready to leave.
“As we were leaving, she walked ahead of us. It was dark. I remember I was still speaking to someone we met along the way. I told her boyfriend to run after her. I also eventually ran to try and catch up with her,” he added.
Fredericko said they saw an unknown man attacking Fredeline. The suspect was dressed entirely in black and was wearing a hooded jacket.
The family tried to intervene, but the attacker fled after striking Fredeline in the head.
“That is when we saw someone busy attacking her. The person was dressed completely in black clothes. He had a jacket with a hood on. We could see it was definitely a man. We saw how he gave her a final blow to the head with a panga as we were screaming and running towards them. He ran off.”
Fredericko said he did not chase the man because Fredeline needed urgent medical attention.
“There was a lot of blood. We could see she had been hit on the head several times. I knew that if we had to wait for an ambulance, my sister would have died right there.
“So we drove her to Grabouw Day Hospital in my friend's bakkie. When we got to the hospital, they immediately attended to her.”
Doctors spent about two hours trying to stabilise the young woman. Her injuries were critical, and her family waited at the hospital as medical staff fought to save her life.
“We were told that her breathing was weakening. Apparently, there was also no oxygen reaching her brain. After two hours of trying to save her, the doctors came to share the news that she did not make it,” he said.
Fredeline’s death has left her family mourning a young woman who was also a mother to a three-year-old daughter.
Her child has not fully understood what happened, Fredericko said. The family is now trying to support her while they come to terms with the loss.
“Her child is not saying much. I don't think she really understands what is going on. We are all taking this one day at a time. Our hope is that whoever is responsible will be caught,” he said.
No funeral arrangements had been finalised at the time of publication.
The attack has left the family demanding answers about what happened in Snake Park and why Fredeline was targeted. They are also appealing for the suspect to be arrested so that the family can understand what led to the killing.
Provincial police spokesperson Constable Ndakhe Gwala confirmed that Grabouw police had opened a murder case.
“Grabouw police opened a case of murder after an incident that occurred at William Street, Snake Park, on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at about 04:00. According to reports, a 20-year-old female was assaulted by an unknown male suspect. She sustained injuries and later succumbed to the injuries in hospital.
“The motive for the attack is yet to be determined and no arrest has been effected at this stage,” Gwala added.
Police referred to the victim as 20 years old, while her brother identified her as 19. The investigation will establish the circumstances surrounding the assault and the events leading to her death.
The suspect remains at large. Police have not released his identity and have appealed to anyone who may have information about the attack, or who was in the William Street and Snake Park area at about the time of the incident, to come forward.
Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is urged to contact Lieutenant Colonel De Kock of Grabouw Detective Services on 082 469 7950 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
For Fredeline’s family, the case is now about more than an arrest. They are grieving a young mother whose life ended while she was trying to get home, and a small child who must now grow up without her mother.
The family hopes that someone who saw the attacker, heard what happened or knows where he went after the assault will speak to investigators and help bring the case closer to a resolution.