A shooting incident that took place in the early hours of Sunday, 7 September, in the precincts of Club Mykonos has left residents of Langebaan with many questions.
The incident, which took place around 02:30, saw a 22-year-old man shot and taken to the hospital, as confirmed by Tania Helfrich, district spokesperson of the West Coast police.
A suspect, Juan van Dyk (23), appeared in the Hopefield Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 9 September, on an attempted murder charge. The case was postponed to Thursday, 11 September, when it was determined that bail would be set at R2 000.
According to the mother of the victim, who wished to remain anonymous, justice was not served by Van Dyk’s bail being set at such a small amount.
“It makes me wonder what is happening with the legal system,” she declared. Moreover, she pointed out, the report of the investigation officer, which recommended denial of bail, was not read out in court before the bail was set, something she also questioned.
“If someone is set free on bail of R2 000 for an attempted murder charge, what does this say about our legal system? I think of people who have not been charged with attempted murder yet whose bail was set at R30 000, even R50 000, and this for minimal charges.”
Despite the many questions surrounding the case and the way it is being handled, the mother seemed optimistic and said her son was doing well. “He must work through the trauma to get well again. As a parent, it is also traumatic as one always worries about one’s child and their well-being. Will this harm him mentally, or spiritually?” The case has been postponed to Tuesday, 18 November.
