Cape Town - An 18-year-old, believed to be a relative, has been arrested for the murder of magistrate Romay van Rooyen and will appear in the Muizenberg Magistrate’s Court tomorrow.
The Vredenburg magistrate and former State prosecutor was found dead at her Marina da Gama home on September 10.
There were reportedly no signs of forced entry and the 50-year-old had departed from work that Friday to attend a family gathering.
Her Toyota RAV4 vehicle had been taken from the property but was later recovered near Mitchell’s Plain.
Hawks spokesperson Katlego Mogale yesterday confirmed that the alleged perpetrator was someone known to Van Rooyen.
“The investigation is at initial stages and the post-mortem results have not yet been received. The arrested suspect, who is a relative of the deceased, will be facing a charge of murder when he appears in court. The investigation is continuing,” Mogale said.
The 18-year-old was arrested at his Mitchells Plain home following a joint tracing operation comprising of the Hawks’ Crimes Against the State, National Priority Violent Crime Investigation, Digital Forensic Investigation and Priority Crime Management Centre.
Mogale said: “The suspect was identified following the discovery of the body of 50-year-old Vredenburg Magistrate Romay van Rooyen at her home in Marina da Gama near Muizenberg.”
It is unclear how the suspect was identified but the Department of Justice (DOJ) has welcomed the arrest.
DOJ spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said: “It’s highly commendable that the SAPS already has a suspect in custody. The hallmarks of an effective criminal justice system are borne out by the fact that those who are suspected of committing heinous crimes are investigated timeously and effectively.”
The Hawks investigation follows an assurance by Police Minister Bheki Cele during a visit to her home earlier this month that the incident would receive “the profile and attention it deserves”.
At the time, her brother Taswell van Rooyen said that his sister was a dedicated individual who committed her life to justice.
“She worked for the NPA and was part of the judiciary whenever she was needed. She was even shot in the leg once when (she) came out of court. So she did a lot. She was passionate.
“She didn’t have a family of her own as she wasn’t married. However, she loved the work. She lived for the criminal justice system,” he said.