International shock at family killings

150127. Cape Town. Police forensic investigators are seen on a murder scene at De Zalze Gholf Estate in Stellenbosch. Three members of a family were alledgedly hacked to death by another family member. Picture Henk Kruger/Cape Argus

150127. Cape Town. Police forensic investigators are seen on a murder scene at De Zalze Gholf Estate in Stellenbosch. Three members of a family were alledgedly hacked to death by another family member. Picture Henk Kruger/Cape Argus

Published Jan 31, 2015

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Cape Town - The murder of three family members in their exclusive Stellenbosch golf-estate home this week is generating news internationally, as police continue investigating the attack, which appears not to have involved any security breaches.

Details have also emerged about the extreme measures in place at the upmarket estate that would have apparently made it exceptionally difficult for anyone, except residents and their employees, to get on to the sprawling grounds.

International businessman Martin van Breda, 55, his wife, Teresa, 54, and the eldest of their three children, Rudi, 22, were killed on Tuesday inside their home on the De Zalze Golf Estate.

Their daughter, who sustained an axe wound to her head and a severed jugular vein, is in a stable, but critical, condition in the Vergelegen Mediclinic, while their middle child, Henri, who had scratches on his arms, is in a relative’s care.

The police have not revealed a motive for the attack, and while it is understood that an axe was found at the scene, it isn’t clear whether this was the murder weapon.

By late on Friday, no arrests had been made.

Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Andre Traut said: “There is currently no update on this case.”

The Van Breda family spokesman, Ben Rootman, told reporters late on Friday that Henri was being monitored and was receiving counselling.

He added that a private memorial service would be held at the Dutch Reformed Church in Moreleta Park, Pretoria, at 11am on Thursday.

Before moving to Perth, the Van Bredas had at one stage been based in Pretoria. It was also where Martin van Breda’s brother lived.

Rootman said the family had expressed their gratitude to all who had extended condolences to them, but had asked for privacy.

Headline news

The triple killing has made headline news in several countries.

Van Breda worked for international luxury real estate company Engel & Völkers, his children appeared to be popular among their peers, and the family had moved from Perth to South Africa in the middle of last year.

Publications in countries including Australia and the UK featured articles on the killings, which some of them dubbed the “axe murder”.

A college in Melbourne posted on its Facebook page that the Van Bredas had been killed during a home invasion.

While the police have remained tight-lipped on details about the attack, clues started emerging on social media and via an internal communication to residents of the golf estate.

De Zalze Golf Club’s Facebook group posted condolences to the Van Breda family.

A member of the group then commented that the incident was shocking, and questioned how it could happen on a secure estate.

The club replied: “No breach of security. It was an isolated domestic incident. Very sad.”

An internal communication to residents of the estate said: “We wish to report there was no breach of our security on the estate, and we believe it was an isolated incident, confined to the scene of the crime.”

It said residents would be updated about what had happened when possible.

Details about the estate’s strict security measures were available on its official website.

For the sake of confidentiality, it said, a map of the estate was e-mailed to residents only once they had moved into the estate. An access card had to be applied for.

The website also mentions a security control room.

The website says gardeners and domestic workers have to be registered, and copies of their ID documents supplied.

Yesterday, Rootman did not want to speculate on what had transpired in the Van Breda household on Tuesday, and declined to comment on the allegations it was a domestic incident.

Meg Fargher, head of Somerset College, where the daughter was a Grade 11 pupil, said two services had been held for her this week.

Fargher would decide next week, based on the situation, whether more would be held.

She said the daughter was sedated in hospital, and that no one was allowed to visit her.

Fargher said pupils had been traumatised by news of the attack.

“(The daughter’s) close friends are very sad… She’s a vivacious girl. It’s very hard. They’re getting cards and things together (to send to the daughter),” she said.

Fargher described the daughter as “popular, clever and very beautiful”, and particularly good at maths.

Photographs on her Facebook page showed how she appeared to enjoy socialising with friends.

A number of photographs show her posing and smiling with female friends.

Henri’s Facebook page shows him in different locations – in one he is standing near two lionesses, and in another he is next to a pool with a stretch of land covered in shrubs behind him.

On Friday condolences continued to be posted on Rudi’s Facebook page.

One said: “You truly were a unique person and always found a way to make me laugh, no matter what the situation! I’ll miss you, mate.”

Rudi’s Facebook page offered a glimpse of his popularity, with photos of him smiling in different locations with various groups of friends.

Other photographs showed Rudi playing rugby and rowing along with other teammates from the University of Melbourne’s Trinity College.

A Facebook page related to the college, Trinity College – Your Stories, Our Heritage, said he and his parents had been “victims of a home invasion”.

It said Rudi had gone to the college “to read science”, after leaving the Scotch College in Western Australia.

“He was on the dean’s honours list for science in 2011, graduated in 2013, and was currently completing his Masters in engineering.

“As well as being intellectually able, Rudi was a keen sportsman, distinguished for his rowing, amongst other sports,” the post said.

It described him as “highly popular” and a “quiet leader” who had helped those younger than himself.

The University of Melbourne said it was saddened by his murder, and was working with staff and students to provide counselling where necessary.

Weekend Argus

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