The Wellington great-grandmother, Susana “Sarie” De Villiers, was sentenced to 20 years effective imprisonment on Thursday (October 8) for the murders of her three great-grandchildren.

De Villiers was sentenced in the Worcester Regional Court for the tragic events that occurred on 20 November 2021 on Bainskloof Pass. She drove about 80 metres down the pass, causing the deaths of Caleb (8), Gradwell (5), and Joshua (18 months) Booysen. She miraculously survived the accident despite serious injuries, including broken ribs and an injury to her neck.

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She pleaded guilty to the murder of all three children in March 2025.

During the final court proceedings this week, De Villiers was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the death of each child. However, the sentences will run concurrently. This means that De Villiers will serve only 20 years. The court also declared her unfit to possess a firearm.

On that fateful day, the children were visiting De Villiers and other family members at her home in Wellington. The children were the grandchildren of De Villiers’ son. She was supposed to take the children home, who lived in another part of the town. However, De Villiers and the children never arrived at the house where she was supposed to drop them off.

Later that evening the family was informed of the incident.

According to eyewitnesses, roadworks were underway on Bainskloof Pass, with stop-and-go points implemented to facilitate traffic flow. Eyewitnesses saw De Villiers refuse to stop at the stop-and-go points that evening and even speed through a closed boom-gate control point. Traffic control officers reacted quickly and halted all other traffic to avoid a head-on collision.

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A patrol vehicle was sent out to investigate when De Villiers’ vehicle failed to arrive at the fourth point. It was then discovered that the vehicle had left the road and gone down the pass.

NovaNews previously reported that Gradwell and Caleb died instantly, while Joshua remained alive for a short while. The rescue teams were faced with the difficult task of bringing Joshua up to the road amid inclement weather, which made it impossible for a rescue helicopter to fly. However, the young boy succumbed to his injuries.

Throughout the court hearings, De Villiers was released on warning. However, during sentencing, magistrate Clifton Maseti terminated the warning release, and issued a warrant of committal.

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