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Would you become a detective dad?

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A Durban man, frustrated with the stalling investigation into the murder of his 14-year-old daughter, traveled to Cape Town, and, within 5 days, managed to find the three men allegedly responsible for her death, according to reports.

The man, a former soldier, spent time in the community where the murder had taken place, speaking to residents and gathering the information which would lead him to her purported killers, who were subsequently arrested.

What would you do?


It’s a reaction many parents would understand. Reading about the horrific crimes taking place against kids in SA, my own reaction is probably typical: If something like that happened to one of my kids, I’d kill the person who’d done it.

Needless to say, if I ever followed through with such an action, I’d end up in prison, depriving my other children of a father.
The reality is that in these situations, parents are most often paralysed by trauma and grief, and incapable of any retributive justice, which is probably a good thing, or vigilantism would be widespread.

I’m impressed at the restraint of this man, then, who, as a retired soldier, had probably received top-class training in tracking, defence and killing techniques, and yet he simply demanded what every person should expect- justice for the murder of his child. Not an eye-for-an-eye justice, but that her alleged killers would face a court of law.

It’s tragic that his daughter had to die, and that the police are so overwhelmed that they are unable to give them fully to investigation of crimes such as these, but it’s also a noteworthy deed by a courageous man who stopped at nothing to avenge his daughter.

Disclaimer: The views of columnists published on Parent24 are their own and therefore do not necessarily represent the views of Parent24.

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