- A year and a half after the lifeless body of Cape Town magistrate Romay van Rooyen was found in her Marina da Gama home, her nephew has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the crime.
- On Friday 1 March, the Cape Town High Court handed down the sentence to Cassidy Hartzenberg who entered into a plea and sentencing agreement.
- Hartzenberg faced charges of murder and theft of a motor vehicle after the body of his aunt was found on Saturday 10 September 2022.
A year and a half after the lifeless body of Cape Town magistrate Romay van Rooyen was found in her Marina da Gama home, her nephew has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the crime.
On Friday 1 March, the Cape Town High Court handed down the sentence to Cassidy Hartzenberg who entered into a plea and sentencing agreement.
In a statement, provincial spokesperson for the Hawks Lt Col Siyabulela Vukubi said the joint efforts by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) and National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) ensured that Hartzenberg served a long time behind bars.
“The Hawks provincial head in the Western Cape Major General Mathipa Makgato commended the collaboration between the DPCI and the NPA in ensuring that perpetrators of heinous crimes do not go unpunished.”
Hartzenberg faced charges of murder and theft of a motor vehicle after the body of his aunt was found on Saturday 10 September 2022.
Concerned family members raised the alarm after she failed to respond to phone calls.
At the time, neighbours said nothing seeming out of the ordinary on the day of the murder.
In a statement, NPA provincial spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said the death of Van Rooyen, who was a prosecutor at the Director of Public Prosecutions office in the Western Cape before joining the magistracy in Vredenburg, sent shockwaves through the legal fraternity.
“The High Court has sentenced the nephew of the late magistrate, Romay van Rooyen, to an effective 20-year imprisonment.
During court proceedings, Western Cape Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Phumzo Zantsi asked the court to use its discretion and sentence Hartzenberg to more than the prescribed minimum sentence of 15 years direct imprisonment given the seriousness of the charges faced by the accused.
In his plea and sentencing agreement Hartzenberg, who was 18 at the time of the murder, confessed to the crime.
He claimed that he visited her on the day of her murder to ask for financial assistance for a job application. In his confession, Hartzenberg said his aunt refused to assist him financially, which angered him.
“He put his hands around her neck and strangled her, she resisted and fought for her life.”
Hartzenberg stayed with the body until the early hours of the next day when he reportedly drove her vehicle to Jakes Gerwel Drive near Mitchell’s Plain where he abandoned it.
“Gender-based violence is a scourge facing our society.
“Through the sentence imposed, the accused has been made aware of how serious the courts view offences against vulnerable members of society.
“Evident through his past conduct is his innate disrespect for women,” said Ntabazalila.
Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Nicolette Bell welcomed the sentence.
“It was sad that Van Rooyen fell victim to a crime she fought against, crimes against women and children, where she ensured that victims received justice and that perpetrators were sent to prison.
“This is a reality that this type of crime affects all of us and we need to put our efforts together to stop it.”
