A pensioner has been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for the premeditated murders of her three great-grandchildren in the Worcester Regional Court in the Western Cape.
Susana “Sarie” De Villiers, 71, was found guilty of the premeditated murders of her great-grandchildren, eight-year-old Caleb, five-year-old Gradwell, and two-year-old Joshua Booysen on November 20, 2021.
The court heard that De Villiers asked the children to bid their great-grandfather farewell and told them no one would ever hurt them again before deliberately driving them over the Bainskloof Pass.
Fit to stand trial
Before her conviction and sentencing, De Villiers pleaded guilty. However, State Prosecutor Cornelius Prinsloo declined to accept paragraph 3.19 of her plea explanation, in which she claimed diminished responsibility. The court consequently entered a plea of not guilty on her behalf, while the remainder of her statement was accepted as formal admissions in terms of Section 220 of the Criminal Procedure Act.
In her admissions, De Villiers stated her motive was to spare herself and the children from further suffering. During her viva voce evidence (verbal testimony) in November 2025, she testified that it “did not feel like herself” and that “something switched off”, adding that she was uncertain about the exact point at which she made the decision and that, at times, she did not believe she was doing anything wrong.
She was referred to Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital for a 30-day mental observation. In a report compiled in June 2024, the psychiatric panel found that she was mentally fit, capable of appreciating the wrongfulness of her actions, and able to act in accordance with that appreciation. The panel found no evidence of psychosis and described her conduct as “goal-directed but impulsive”. De Villiers did not contest the findings.
Premeditated murder
Evidence led by the State revealed that the children had previously been removed from their parents due to neglect and substance abuse. They initially resided with De Villiers and her husband for about three months before being placed with a maternal relative. About a week before the incident, the children’s mother and her partner were arrested on charges relating to child neglect.
The court further heard that De Villiers collected the children for the day while their caregiver attended a wedding. The children spent the day swimming and playing at her home. Between approximately 4.30pm and 4pm, she placed them in her vehicle, ostensibly to return them to their caregiver. The children cried and begged to remain with her. She told them to say goodbye to their great-grandfather and assured them that no one would hurt them again.
In his arguments, Prosecutor Prinsloo submitted that De Villiers drove in the opposite direction of the children’s home and travelled approximately 23 kilometres to Bainskloof Pass, passing several traffic control points along the way. He argued that she intended to kill both herself and the children by driving off a cliff.
The crash
The court heard that, upon reaching the summit, De Villiers contemplated stopping and calling her husband or continuing through to Ceres. Instead, she proceeded through a gap in the barriers, causing the vehicle to plunge down the mountainside before coming to rest in a riverbed below.
De Villiers was wearing a seatbelt, while the children were unrestrained. All three children died from multiple blunt force injuries. De Villiers survived the crash.
Evidence before the court further established that she was sober at the time, the vehicle was mechanically sound, and visibility conditions were good.
To strengthen the State’s case, the prosecution submitted documentary evidence in terms of Section 212 of the Criminal Procedure Act, including the post-mortem reports of the deceased children, an accident reconstruction report, and a mechanical analysis of the vehicle following the collision.
In mitigation, De Villiers testified about her difficult upbringing, experiences of poverty, and three suicide attempts during adolescence. She further described the emotional impact of a motor vehicle accident in January 2020 involving her and her stepdaughter, who later died from burn injuries sustained in the collision. De Villiers testified that she suffered from depression following the accident and her stepdaughter’s death and received limited treatment.
Sentencing
In aggravation of sentence, Prinsloo argued that a lengthy custodial sentence was warranted. While acknowledging the personal hardships and depression experienced by De Villiers, he submitted that these factors could not outweigh the deliberate and premeditated killing of three young children entrusted to her care. He further argued that children are entitled to protection from the very adults entrusted with their wellbeing.
The court sentenced De Villiers to 20 years’ direct imprisonment on each count of murder but ordered that the sentences run concurrently, resulting in an effective 20 years’ imprisonment.
The provincial spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Eric Ntabazalila, commended the work of the prosecuting team.
“The NPA commends the diligent work of the investigating officer, Warrant Officer Michael Pretorius, and Prosecutor Cornelius Prinsloo, whose scrutiny of the accused’s plea ultimately strengthened the State’s case and ensured that justice was served for the victims,” Ntabazalila said.
He said the NPA remains committed to holding perpetrators of violent crimes accountable and ensuring justice for society’s most vulnerable, particularly children.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
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