407:, drugged and sexually assaulted before being locked in a cupboard. It is likely that Van Rooyen and Haarhoff thought that Booysen was younger than she was due to her small stature. She managed to escape and alert the police who placed the home under surveillance and four days later identified Van Rooyen when he drove past his house in a white Ford pick-up that matched the description of a vehicle used in one of the abductions. Upon discovering Booysen's disappearance, Van Rooyen shot and killed Haarhoff with a
25:
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Interviewed by the Sunday Star in April 1993, when news of the letter came to light, former Fabric
Library personal assistant Debora Sloane said: "What riveted me was a little girl who came into the Fabric Library shortly before the note was discovered. This girl of about twelve had short black hair
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donated Van Rooyen's former house to the police to allow the girls' disappearance to be investigated further. On 13 May 1996, police systematically demolished the house in a search for new forensic evidence that might provide clues to the fate of the missing girls. The roof was removed and vacuumed
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to Van Rooyen and
Haarhoff following their deaths. For example, Odette Boucher's home address and phone number were found written on a piece of paper and hidden under a carpet in the garage, as well as her class captain's badge and yellow bag. Anne-Mari Wapenaar's address and home keys, as well as
361:
On 29 September 1989, Kobie
Wapenaar, Anne-Mari's mother, received a letter from her daughter claiming that she and Odette had run away to Durban with some boys. Odette's letter arrived a week after Anne-Mari's ― although it was posted on the same day, 23 September 1989, in Durban. It is suspected
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poster campaign were launched. Her brother Mark, who had declined an offer to go shopping with her, was severely guilt-ridden and traumatised by her disappearance. In later life he was found guilty of the murder of a farm worker, beating him and throwing his unconscious body to the
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and murdered at least six young girls between 1988 and 1989. He was aided in his crimes by a female accomplice, his mistress Joey
Haarhoff. In early 1990, when faced with arrest after the escape of their latest kidnap victim, Van Rooyen killed Haarhoff and himself in a
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near
Pretoria, where he punched them in the face, ordered them to remove their clothing and sexually molested them. Van Rooyen released the girls in Pretoria the following day, and was subsequently arrested and sentenced to four years imprisonment for the abduction,
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In June 1990, a customer at the Fabric
Library in Midrand found a pencilled note, written in a childish hand, on a slip. It read: "I am Anne-Mari. My friend and I are with our kidnappers at (listed an address). My friend has tried to phone, but was cut off."
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the envelopes and paper used when writing to their parents were found in his home. None of Van Rooyen's victims were ever found, despite extensive police searches of his business premises and house, which was dubbed "The House of
Horrors" by the press.
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to visit his dying mother. In 1960, he was convicted of stealing motor spares and clothing. Van Rooyen married and subsequently fathered six children: Anne Marie, Judith, Hannes, Flippie, Gerhard and
Adriaan, and earned a legitimate living running a
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Although Ray
Boucher said police investigations at the address given in Anne-Mari's note proved fruitless, it remains the only positive proof that she and Odette were perhaps alive months after the paedophile couple's bodies were cremated.
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in the
Pretoria Magistrate's Court. He was charged with three counts of perjury after giving police conflicting statements under oath relating to the six missing schoolgirls. Flippie was then already in jail for a
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Van Rooyen is thought to have used Haarhoff to lure young girls for him. Children's homes reported that she telephoned requesting to bring girls home for the holidays and weekends. The couple applied to
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testing did not identify any of the Van Rooyen victims. The South African Police have not released further details, which would lead one to believe there was no positive identification made.
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whilst the ground was being dug up to install a swimming pool. Local authorities were alerted and police forensic experts were to determine if the bones were human.
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coast. It is commonly believed that some of their victims may be buried on the beaches in KZN, as the time of the abductions corresponds to known vacation periods.
261:. In 1988, Van Rooyen started dating divorcee Francina Johanna ("Joey") Hermina Haarhoff, who became his alleged accomplice, and the couple holidayed together at
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Barry Bateman and Patrick Hlahla (15 November 2007). "Bones give new hope to solving Van Rooyen case; Forensic experts will confirm whether findings are human".
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Contacted this week, Kobie Wapenaar told the Saturday Star that "the handwriting was definitely Anne-Mari's - and police handwriting experts confirmed it."
178:. Despite later evidence against them, the two were never formally convicted due to their deaths and the bodies of their alleged victims were never found.
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pick-up truck used in her abduction with an advertisement for Van Rooyen's building-contracting business on it would later link him to this crime.
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disappeared after being abducted in a shopping mall by a blonde woman. She was later found wandering around distressed, but unharmed.
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Various reports as to the whereabouts of his victims have not been investigated, leaving their families unable to put them to rest.
202:, have conducted full and conclusive investigations since his suicide. It is commonly believed that Van Rooyen was part of a
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for traces of human hair and nails, then the walls were demolished and the kitchen and main bedroom were scanned with
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and appeared very scared. I can still see her sitting there and wondered at the time why she was looking so scared."
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On 12 March 2007, renewed interest in the case occurred after a set of adolescent bones was found on the beach near
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Hills, Carol (12 August 2005). "Scott-Crossley lion-killing trial:Still haunted by the ghost of Gert van Rooyen".
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Significant public attention has been brought to bear on the case by the investigative television series
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girl. He was paroled in 2008. Another son, Gerhard, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for theft and
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Cornelius Gerhardus van Rooyen, commonly known by the nicknames "Gert" and "Bokkie", was born in
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On 3 November 1989, 13-year-old Yolanda Wessels, the niece of Van Rooyen's partner disappeared.
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children, but the application was turned down. At the end of 1989, a 14-year-old girl from an
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On 22 September 1989, 11-year-old Odette Boucher and 12-year-old Anne-Mari Wapenaar, both of
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In November 2007, bones were discovered in a property adjacent to Van Rooyen's house in
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Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.
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On 11 January 1990, 16-year-old Joan Booysen of Pretoria was abducted by Haarhoff in
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on 11 April 1938. He is assumed to have been the sole killer, although neither the
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In February 2001, Flippie Van Rooyen, Gert van Rooyen's son, was found guilty of
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All the above disappearances, with the exception of Rosa Piel, were linked by
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In 1979, Van Rooyen abducted two girls, aged 10 and 13, taking them to the
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equipment for cavities. The soil in the garden was sifted and some
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Mboyisa, Cederic (23 October 2007). "Hunt for Van Rooyen graves".
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On 7 June 1989, 12-year-old Joan Horn of Pretoria disappeared.
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On 1 August 1988, 14-year-old Tracy-Lee Scott-Crossley of
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of the girls, serving three years before being released.
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disappeared. She was seen by witnesses climbing into a
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group, although this has not been fully investigated.
153:(11 April 1938 – 15 January 1990), better known as
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225:in 1954, after stealing a car which he drove from
326:On 22 December 1988, 12-year-old Fiona Harvey of
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512:which dedicated an episode to the mystery.
217:Gert Van Rooyen's first crimes were various
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340:In July 1989, 16-year-old Janet Delport of
347:Some weeks later, 9-year-old Rosa Piel of
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614:Face to Face with Noereen Scott-Crossley
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257:In August 1983, he and his wife Aletta
529:List of serial killers in South Africa
593:Gallagher, Christina (7 April 2007).
238:business together with his brothers.
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595:"Feared God but 'loved' young girls"
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362:the letter was written under duress.
783:Suicides by firearm in South Africa
773:South African murderers of children
560:"Van Rooyen and the missing girls"
471:, for the murder of a 15-year-old
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619:(South Africa). 11 September 1988
318:. A nationwide police search and
719:"New bones linked to Van Rooyen"
558:Michael Schmidt (7 April 2007).
314:outside of the shopping mall in
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455:identified these as non-human.
151:Cornelius Gerhardus van Rooyen
71:Cornelius Gerhardus van Rooyen
1:
778:South African serial killers
650:"Paedophile's son on parole"
200:South African Police Service
198:successor organisation, the
768:Kidnappings in South Africa
721:. News24. 14 November 2007.
467:which had been commuted to
16:South African serial killer
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669:"Mom's DNA test of hope".
298:holidays with the couple.
671:The Independent on Sunday
144:
119:
32:This article needs to be
701:"Fingerprint of Fate".
370:Church Square, Pretoria
391:25.728750°S 28.19000°E
330:disappeared. A white
157:, was a South African
453:forensic pathologists
236:building construction
396:-25.728750; 28.19000
192:South African Police
387: /
221:. He was sent to a
102:Cause of death
428:witness statements
414:before committing
171:sexually assaulted
469:life imprisonment
432:forensic evidence
312:Volkswagen Beetle
292:Orange Free State
243:Hartbeespoort Dam
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277:Possible victims
213:Criminal history
88:15 January 1990
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403:) Booysen was
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379:25°43′43.5″S
356:Kempton Park
351:disappeared.
308:Johannesburg
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188:South Africa
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132:South Africa
78:South Africa
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44:January 2019
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763:1990 deaths
753:1938 births
687:The Citizen
655:iafrica.com
451:found, but
394: /
332:Ford Bantam
320:hypermarket
747:Categories
535:References
473:Zimbabwean
405:handcuffed
382:28°11′24″E
294:spent the
204:paedophile
159:paedophile
112:Occupation
571:10 August
440:Absa Bank
438:In 1996,
422:revolver.
296:Christmas
288:orphanage
269:, on the
263:Warmbaths
227:Cape Town
196:apartheid
182:Biography
90:(aged 51)
734:The Star
600:The Star
565:The Star
523:See also
517:Pretoria
412:revolver
349:Alberton
304:Randburg
259:divorced
231:Pretoria
167:abducted
94:Pretoria
499:Umdloti
460:perjury
418:with a
416:suicide
290:in the
267:Umdloti
129:Country
124:Details
115:Builder
106:Suicide
34:updated
342:Durban
323:lions.
316:Cresta
284:foster
219:thefts
137:Killed
477:fraud
449:bones
445:sonar
306:near
573:2008
420:.357
265:and
250:and
165:who
161:and
85:Died
67:Born
503:DNA
430:or
409:.22
229:to
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42:(
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