KEETMANSHOOP – Police Crime Investigations Coordinator in the //Karas Region, Deputy Commissioner Rudolf Isaaks, has called on people to seek counselling following failed relationships and not to resort to passion killing and suicide.
Isaaks’ remarks come in the wake of a series of suicides and passion killings in the region over the festive season. Speaking to New Era, Isaaks says although very few crimes were reported in the region over the festive season, the phenomenon of passion killing has sadly reared its ugly head marring a rather peaceful festive season in the region.
Five murders were committed during the period all of them attributed to amorous relations that went horribly wrong. The latest incident was a 35-year-old man who shot and killed his 23-year-old lover around noon on Sunday at Rosh Pinah.
In another crime of passion Andreas Hosea ‘Rickey’ Tsei-Tseimou shot his 22-year-old partner Tessa Christiaan four times in a fit of anger before Christmas at Keetmanshoop. Tsei-Tseimou subsequently turned turned the gun on himself, while Christiaan survived the ordeal.
Kenorita Beukes, a Rehoboth resident also committed suicide in Keetmanshoop by shooting herself in the abdomen with her lover’s pistol over the festive season. A Namibian Defence Force (NDF) member Hendrik Alweendo Amutenya aged 24 also shot and killed his ex-lover Felicity Draghoender aged 22 with an AK 47 rifle at Karasburg. According to reports, Amutenya fled the crime scene, but was found dead the next day with a gunshot wound to his head.
A police officer, Hermanus Bikeur aged 25, also took his own life by hanging himself from a tree at Aus.
The commissioner pointed out that unlike other crimes, passion killings cannot be monitored by police officers and are therefore extremely difficult to prevent.
“That is one crime that can never be curbed, because we do not know what is going on in the heads of other people. The only medicine for this is for women to take time to know prospective partners and not to jump into relationships head over heels. You never know what the intentions of people are, therefore women be careful and be sure the person you are getting involved with does not have a track record of violence,” he offered.
He further appealed to people with relationship problems to seek professional help and to share their rejection with a social worker, priest or just someone close to them and to know that it is not the end of the world.
He also cautioned people to be careful when handling firearms, warning those who own firearms legally to take greater care of them.
“Those who are legal owners of firearms must not leave such items lying around. Many [firearms] end up in the wrong hands, owners should therefore not keep their firearms under their car seats, but should carry them on their persons when they are out and about. If you are not using it then put it in a lockable place,” said Isaaks, who agreed that the mishandling of firearms has been instrumental in many killings.
By Jemima Beukes