Friend confesses to raping, killing couple's toddler

Willie Simons Picture: African News Agency/ANA

Willie Simons Picture: African News Agency/ANA

Published Nov 13, 2018

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Cape Town – A friend of a Manenberg couple confessed to raping and murdering their 2-year-old daughter, saying he knew exactly what he had done as she took her last breath.

Willie Simons entered into a plea and was convicted in the Western Cape High Court on Monday for the rape and murder of Zakeerah Hendricks.

Simons said he was at a house party in Manenberg in February 2016, when he carried Zakeerah into a Wendy house to put her down to sleep.

In his plea, Simons said he gave the toddler a bottle, undressed her, then raped her while holding his hand over her mouth so she did not make a noise. This was before he strangled her to death with his bare hands.

“I realised that my action could result in her death, but I continued nonetheless, making myself guilty of the crime of murder. I admit that after I was done I left the deceased on the bed in the same Wendy house of Felicia Simons. The deceased was found by her mother, Zaida Hendricks, on 28 February 2016 on the bed where I left her,” Simons said.

His case was postponed to next month for a pre-sentencing report.

“I humbly ask for forgiveness from the family of the deceased person,” Simons said in his plea.

In reaction to Simons’ confession, Hendricks’ paternal grandmother, Jeanette Daniels, said she was overwhelmed with sadness that her little grandbaby was no more. “She was a tiny baby and I’m feeling so sad. She could have been a mother one day and have her own children, but that was taken away from her.”

Daniels said she has already forgiven Simons and is leaving the rest to God.

Cape Times

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