Photographer Alix Carmichele, who was brutally attacked in 1995 by Francois Coetzee while he was out on bail for rape, fears for her safety as her attacker is being considered for parole.
Carmichele said on Tuesday she was “shocked” to hear that Coetzee was being considered for parole again given his history of violent crimes. She was outraged at the news of Coetzee’s possible transfer to Knysna Prison in her home town.
“I heard about his parole last week from a friend who knows Francois’s mother. I called Malmesbury Prison to find out and was told he had been moved to Helderstroom Prison in Caledon. I had no knowledge of this. On Friday I wrote a letter opposing the transfer to Knysna and his parole but I haven’t had any response on this and no one notified me about this before the time,” Carmichele said.
“I spent so many years fighting the State on this matter and now he gets parole before serving his full sentence, so what’s the point?” Carmichele said.
She strongly believes Coetzee has not been rehabilitated.
Repeat offender Coetzee, who was convicted for raping a teenager and the attempted murder of Carmichele, previously had his parole opposed in 2006. Soon afterwards he attacked a female prison warder at Malmesbury prison where he was serving a 21-year-sentence. Prison authorities said at the time that Coetzee had intended to sexually assault the warder and it appeared he had used a “sharp instrument” in the attack.
“The fact that this is happening again and no one told me about it makes me feel cheated. I feel completely and utterly helpless. I am scared if he moves back here because he threatened me at his own court case. After he was sentenced he turned around, looked at me and put his finger across his throat,” Carmichele said.
Carmichele’s case made headlines in 1995 after she was attacked by Coetzee, in a beach house near Knysna. Coetzee was on bail for a rape charge.
She later took the ministers of justice and of safety and security to court on the grounds of negligence, for allowing Coetzee to be on bail despite warnings from the public. She won her case in the Cape High Court in 2002 and sought damages of R177 000. She had sustained a broken skull, a broken arm and a deep knife wound to her chest in the attack.
She contacted the Helderstroom Prison who said they tried to call her to notify her in August last year.
“They said they called me but I never spoke to them. They did not leave a message or call again, so they simply told me they have one record of trying to contact me. I am waiting on them to send me an application to oppose his parole and who knows if that will even happen. If I had known about it in August then I would have had time to take action but now it’s two months before he is due to come to Knysna,” Carmichele said.
She was told that Coetzee is to be transferred in May.
Department of Correctional Services spokesman Simphiwe Xako said: “The offender attended different rehabilitation programmes, like life skills, rape and sexual aggression programmes. He was continuously assessed within the Department of Correctional Services for the rehabilitation of offenders and the parole board before being considered for parole. All parties recommended he should be placed on parole.”
Xako said Coetzee had matriculated and enrolled with Unisa while incarcerated.
However, Xako said because of the concerns raised by Carmichele, his parole would be reviewed “more seriously”.
“The safety of the community is in our best interests. We are not into releasing dangerous people, only completely rehabilitated people.” - Cape Times