Man charged with murder of Woodlands mother and daughter
Community activists vow to push for justice after the accused in the killing of two family members appeared in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court.
The man charged with the murder of Woodlands mother and daughter Brooklyn Hemmero (15) and Christina ‘Nikki’ Joseph (34) made a brief appearance in the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court yesterday afternoon.
The Witness reports that Kyle Francis (37), who is facing two charges of murder, was remanded in custody until his next appearance on April 16 for further investigation.
uMgungundlovu District SAPS spokesperson Sergeant Sifiso Gwala confirmed that Francis appeared in court on two counts of murder.
Brooklyn was found strangled, while her mother, Joseph, was stabbed multiple times at their Woodroffe Flats residence in Woodlands last Tuesday evening. Despite efforts by family and community members to rush the mother and daughter to hospital, both died.
Francis had previously spent several days in hospital under police guard following the deaths of Brooklyn and her mother.
According to several sources, Francis was transported from a hospital in Durban to the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court for his appearance.
Funeral and vigil
Brooklyn and her mother were laid to rest on Saturday morning at the Mountain Rise Cemetery. Family members, friends, community members and pupils gathered outside the Philadelphia Church in Woodlands to bid them a final farewell.
On Friday evening, the family and members of the Woodlands community held a candlelight vigil to pray for the victims ahead of their funeral.
Community demands justice
The double murder has rocked the Woodlands community, with activists calling for justice.
As the coffins of the duo were placed side by side at their funeral on Saturday, grief-stricken mourners vowed that their deaths would not be forgotten.
“We will make sure that there is justice for the lives that have been lost,” said Unite Against GBV founder Elton Adkins.
Adkins added that activists had already begun engaging with the family and the community.
“We have been speaking with the family and will be running a campaign to ensure that justice is served. We are concerned about why the family was not informed of the appearance because we just want clarity and justice for the family,” he said.
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Read original story on witness.co.za
