Mother's decade-long fight for justice in son's police shooting death
Cape Town - For Klarina Reed, each passing day serves as a painful reminder of the unanswered questions surrounding her son's tragic death.
More than a decade ago, 15-year-old Damian Ahrendse was fatally shot in what his mother claims was an unwarranted use of force by police. She is still seeking justice.
The heartbroken mother recalls every moment of that fateful day, Friday 13 December 2013 in Wesbank, near Eerste River.
“They shot my child, he came running towards our house, he was holding his chest, the blood was coming out of his nose, then he just fell to the ground.
“His sister asked him what happened? And he answered that the police shot him, his older brother had also seen what happened.”
Reed, 60, explains, just minutes before she left to go to her friend she told Damian to stay indoors because of the gang shootings.
It is believed that Damian and his friend had left the house out of curiosity to see who was shot, after a round of gunshots were fired in the area.
The cop who allegedly shot Damian and his friend were called out to the scene, which Damian and his friend were also on their way to.
When the boys left the scene, the cops had, Reed said, begun searching for the suspect.
“Their van got stuck and at that moment, Damian and his friend ran across the field, I heard they got out of their van and started shooting at the boys.”
At his disciplinary hearing, almost a year after Damian's death, the policeman maintained that the person on whom he had fired was an armed suspect who threatened his life.
He was sure it was not Damian. At his verdict, the cop was found not guilty of misconduct.
Reed said since that day she has been seeking answers and closure.
“I opened a criminal case, because my child was not a gangster, he had big dreams, he wanted to be a soccer player, I believe he would have made it onto TV, he was really good.
“But they took that away from him, and they took him away from me. Now they are also delaying justice.
“I want to know what is happening with my son's case!”
“They said they will inform me, but for 10 years, nothing has been done. The last time I heard about the case was four months ago when the detective called me.
“I knew there would be excuses again, just like always, then there's spelling mistakes, or the witnesses have passed on and addresses cannot be found, or the magistrate sent the docket back to the police or IPID.
Reed says she feels as if the case keeps travelling between offices, because nobody is willing to take ownership of the investigation.
“Now, more than ever, I am desperate for clarity. I am scared they will leave this case cold,” Reed said, her voice a mixture of exasperation and heartbreak.
She adds: “I have spoken repeatedly to different departments and have been met with excuses that seem to only prolong my suffering. I just want someone to be held accountable,” she insists.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) spokesperson Phaladi Shuping, said it is not true that IPID has been giving the family a run around.
“The family was made aware that the docket is at the inquest court. Over the years, the inquest court has made several queries that IPID had to attend to.
“The queries were attended to by IPID and the docket was resubmitted to the court and we are waiting for the inquest findings.”
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila confirmed the case is still on the Kuils River Magistrate's Court roll.
tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za