Convicted child rapist Reagan Zietsman has plead guilty to the kidnapping, rape and murder of six-year-old Delvina Europa and defeating the administration of justice. This is the second time he has been convicted for raping a minor, although he never served jail time for his first charge.
Zietsman appeared at the High Court of South Africa: Western Cape Division on Tuesday, August 25. In his plea of guilt statement, Zietsman, who knew Europa through her father, confessed the gruesome details of Europa’s murder.
“He told the court that he met the girl on the morning of 24 March 2019 after he finished smoking mandrax and tik. He told her that he was looking for her father and the girl went with him to look for her father,” said NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila.
“Zietsman took her to the bushes far from her home and her father’s place where he raped her. While committing the gruesome act, he covered her mouth and nose with his hand to stop her from screaming. He discovered that she had stopped breathing.
“Zietsman then decided to submerge her body into a shallow water in the bush with the intent to hide her body and get rid of DNA evidence.”
That same afternoon, the community began a search party to find Europa and Zietsman denied seeing her. He told the court he lied as he feared the community and the street committee would have assaulted him.
Europa’s body was found in the Overberg town of Elim and one of the residents told the search party they had seen Zeitsman with Europa. He was arrested on March 26, 2019.
During the court case, it was discovered that this was not the accused’s first conviction and sentencing for rape of a minor. On January 18, 2017 the Bredasdorp Magistrates Court convicted Zietsman of the rape of a 12-year-old girl and sentenced him to five years wholly suspended for five years on condition that he is not be convicted of a similar offence during the suspense of sentence.
He kidnapped, raped and murdered Europa during that period of suspension, therefore breaking terms.
While on the witness stand, Europas father Davis Jagers made an impassioned speech.
“But one cannot trust a man who does this to a child. What he did is not what a human being would do. If I were to ask him, I would ask what did my child do to you. She was a lovely child and wouldn’t have done something to him.
“It’s a monster that would do such a thing to a child.”
Investigating officer, Sergeant Carlo Alexander also knew Zietsman officially and socially, and denounced the mans actions.
“It was a shock to find such a small figure in that pool of water. It was the most gruesome scene I have ever seen. If the community brought the accused at the scene then, I would have shot that man dead. I took my rain jacket and covered her body until the forensics unit arrived at the scene.
“I was so traumatized and had nightmares because this man had visited my house two weeks before the incident and I have two girls in my house.” Sergeant Alexander said.
The community was left shocked and angry. Child rights and gender-based violence activists protested outside the Bredasdorp Magistrates Court before the start of the case against Reagan Zietsman.
The case has been postponed to August 26, 2020 for the State to call a doctor who will explain the injuries suffered by Europa. The State and the defence will then argue in aggravation and mitigation of sentence.
Picture: Unsplash