Lee-Wayne Koert, who is accused of raping and murdering his 38-year-old girlfriend, is set to appear in court again on 14 May following the discovery of her body at Caledon Cemetery last week.
Koert first reported his girlfriend, Jenine Diane Hopley, missing on Friday, 1 May but has now been charged with her rape and murder. Koert appeared in court on Monday, 11 May; however, his case was postponed to Thursday, 14 May to allow him to apply for a Legal Aid lawyer. This is according to Eric Ntabazalila, the spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority.
Hopley died on 28 April, three days before Koert reported her missing, according to Ntabazalila. Those closest to the deceased remember her a “person who could not be angry with others”. Ntabazalila confirmed that Koert and the deceased were in a domestic relationship.
“Despite the fact that he beat her so much, she still loved him,” said one Facebook user close to Hopley, a mother of two.
According to Caledon police, an enquiry into her disappearance was registered and investigated following Koert’s missing person’s report. The investigation took a grim turn on Thursday, 7 May, when Hopley’s body was discovered at the cemetery. Police subsequently opened a murder case and arrested Koert who now faces an additional rape charge. Her body was found nine days after she was murdered.
Meanwhile, community members and residents of Caledon led by Kaapse (Cape) Forum have tabled a petition requesting that Koers be denied bail on Thursday. The petition, addressed to the Caledon Magistrate’s Court, NPA and SAPS, listed numerous reasons why the alleged perpetrator should not be granted bail. These include severity of crime, interest of public safety, risk to the community and witnesses, previous alleged criminal conduct as well as importance of justice” for Hopley and her children.
“The nature of the crime has sent shockwaves through the community,” reads the petition. “The community of Caledon feels unsafe and traumatised [and] the release of the accused may cause further fear and tension.”
The petition requests that the court dismiss Koert’s bail for justice for Hopley and the protection of her family.
