TWO street robbers who chose women as their victims were sent straight to prison at the end of their trials in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court in Katutura this week.
Windhoek residents Raymond Matroos and Johannes Shikongo - both 22 years old, unemployed and the father of two children - were sentenced to two years' imprisonment and 18 months in jail respectively, after each of them had been convicted on a charge of robbery.
Magistrate Conchita Olivier sent Matroos back to prison a mere six days after he had managed to secure his release on bail of N$500. Matroos had been in custody for a year since his arrest on July 5 last year, before he managed to pay his bail on Thursday last week.
He was charged with robbing a woman, Sarah Maureen Geingos, in Katutura on July 3 last year. During the robbery, in which Geingos was thrown to the ground, a jacket, a pair of boots, cash of N$150 and a cellphone were stolen from her.
Matroos initially pleaded guilty when his trial started on Tuesday, but then claimed he knew nothing about the case in which he was charged. After the magistrate heard evidence in the ensuing trial, she convicted Matroos as charged.
She sentenced him on Wednesday to 36 months' imprisonment, of which 12 months were suspended for a period of three years on condition Matroos does not again commit the crime of robbery during the period of suspension. Shikongo was accused of robbing Annastasia Ekandjo in Katutura on July 2 this year.
He pleaded guilty to the charge on Tuesday. He told the court that he threatened to assault Ekandjo, and that she then put the items she had with her on the ground. He then stole her handbag, a cellphone, two pairs of earrings and a computer memory stick from her, he admitted.
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Magdalena Stoffels was just one too much... How many more must die at the hands of men who is able to differentiate between wrong and right? If he can go pick a riverbed to attack defenseless children, and commits such brutal acts, must he still be given rights..? What human rights are we talking about if that dog is not able to see the right of the next person. The culprit must prey that he is not found not guilty because I will make sure to attend each and every court case and God have mercy should you walk out of that court room a free man. This is enough! Lawmakers must start to pay attention to what the masses want. It is time that we allow women to have a stake of their own in our crminal justice system and bring back the lost faith in the legal system. I also hope that the trial would not last for longer than then needed because we are hunger for results! Only in Namibia must the working class continue to clean the bush and riverbed while the criminal starts looking the next prey in a shopping mall . May God console the Stoffels family. As for Magdalena, I honestly don't think she will ever find Peace.