Key Takeaways
- Susana “Sarie” De Villiers, a 71‑year‑old pensioner, was convicted of the pre‑meditated murder of her three great‑grandchildren (ages 8, 5, 2) after deliberately driving them over Bainskloof Pass in November 2021.
- Although she initially pleaded guilty and claimed diminished responsibility, the State rejected that plea; a psychiatric evaluation found her mentally fit, capable of understanding the wrongfulness of her actions, and acting in a goal‑directed but impulsive manner.
- Evidence showed she told the children to say goodbye to their great‑grandfather and assured them no one would hurt them again before taking them in the opposite direction of their home, traveling about 23 km to the summit where she drove the vehicle off a barrier into a riverbed.
- All three children died from multiple blunt‑force injuries; De Villiers survived, wearing a seatbelt while the children were unrestrained.
- Mitigating factors presented included her difficult upbringing, poverty, prior suicide attempts, depression after a 2020 accident that killed her stepdaughter, and limited mental‑health treatment.
- The court sentenced her to 20 years’ direct imprisonment on each murder count, ordering the sentences to run concurrently, resulting in an effective 20‑year term.
- The National Prosecuting Authority praised the investigative and prosecutorial team for securing justice for the vulnerable victims.
Background and Charges
Susana “Sarie” De Villiers, a 71‑year‑old resident of Worcester in the Western Cape, was charged with three counts of pre‑meditated murder after the deaths of her great‑grandchildren Caleb (8), Gradwell (5), and Joshua Booysen (2) on 20 November 2021. The children had been removed from their parents’ care due to neglect and substance abuse and had spent roughly three months living with De Villiers and her husband before being placed with a maternal relative. A week before the incident, the children’s mother and her partner were arrested on child‑neglect charges, leaving the children temporarily in De Villiers’ care while their regular caregiver attended a wedding. The State alleged that De Villiers deliberately planned to kill the children and herself by driving them over Bainskloof Pass, a scenic but treacherous mountain route.
Plea and Mental Evaluation
De Villiers initially entered a guilty plea, but she attached a paragraph (3.19) asserting diminished responsibility. State Prosecutor Cornelius Prinsloo refused to accept that portion, prompting the court to enter a not‑guilty plea on her behalf while accepting the remainder of her statement as formal admissions under Section 220 of the Criminal Procedure Act. In her admissions, she stated her motive was to spare herself and the children from further suffering. To assess her mental state, De Villiers was referred to Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital for a 30‑day observation. The psychiatric panel’s June 2024 report concluded she was mentally fit, capable of appreciating the wrongfulness of her actions, and able to act in accordance with that appreciation. No psychosis was detected; her conduct was described as “goal‑directed but impulsive.” De Villiers did not contest these findings.
Premeditation Evidence
The prosecution presented a series of facts demonstrating pre‑meditation. On the day of the incident, De Villiers collected the children while their caregiver was at a wedding. The children spent the afternoon swimming and playing at her home. Between approximately 4:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., she placed them in her vehicle, ostensibly to return them to their caregiver. The children cried and begged to stay with her; she instructed them to say goodbye to their great‑grandfather and assured them that no one would ever hurt them again. Prinsloo argued that De Villiers then drove in the opposite direction of the children’s home, covering about 23 km to Bainskloof Pass, passing several traffic control points without deviation. He contended that her intention was to drive the vehicle off a cliff, killing both herself and the children. The State’s case was bolstered by documentary evidence, including post‑mortem reports, an accident reconstruction, and a mechanical analysis confirming the vehicle was sound and visibility good at the time.
The Crash
Upon reaching the summit of Bainskloof Pass, De Villiers contemplated stopping to call her husband or continuing toward Ceres. Instead, she steered through a gap in the safety barriers, causing the vehicle to plummet down the mountainside before coming to rest in a riverbed below. De Villiers was wearing a seatbelt; the three children were unrestrained. All three sustained multiple blunt‑force injuries and died at the scene. De Villiers survived the crash with injuries but was able to provide testimony later. The prosecution emphasized that she was sober, the vehicle had no mechanical defects, and environmental conditions were optimal, eliminating any claim of accidental loss of control.
Mitigating Factors
In mitigation, De Villiers testified about a challenging upbringing marked by poverty and three suicide attempts during adolescence. She also described the emotional toll of a January 2020 motor‑vehicle accident in which she and her stepdaughter were involved; her stepdaughter later died from burn injuries sustained in that collision. De Villiers said she suffered depression following that accident and her stepdaughter’s death, receiving only limited treatment. She argued that these cumulative stressors contributed to her mental state at the time of the offense. The defense urged the court to consider her background and psychological struggles as reasons for a more lenient sentence.
Sentencing
The State argued for a lengthy custodial term, emphasizing that the aggravating factors—pre‑meditation, the vulnerability of the victims, and the breach of trust inherent in a caregiver‑child relationship—outweighed any mitigating circumstances. Prinsloo stressed that children deserve protection from the very adults entrusted with their safety. The court accepted the aggravation and sentenced De Villiers to 20 years’ direct imprisonment on each murder count. Because the sentences were ordered to run concurrently, the effective term of imprisonment is 20 years. The judge noted that while De Villiers’ personal hardships were acknowledged, they could not justify the deliberate taking of three young lives.
Reactions and Conclusion
Eric Ntabazalila, the provincial spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, commended the investigative and prosecutorial teams. He praised Warrant Officer Michael Pretorius for his thorough investigation and Prosecutor Cornelius Prinsloo for scrutinizing the accused’s plea, which ultimately strengthened the State’s case. Ntabazalila reiterated the NPA’s commitment to holding perpetrators of violent crimes accountable and securing justice for society’s most vulnerable, especially children. The case serves as a stark reminder of the profound responsibility caregivers bear and the severe consequences when that trust is violated through pre‑meditated violence.
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