This page is dedicated to Rochelle Allen, an innocent young, beautiful and loving girl I could always be proud of, who died senselessly at the hand of two heartless beasts.

I am the mother of Rochelle Allen. On 12 August 2000 Rochelle and her friend of 5 years, GeeJee Wentzel went out on a last date before they both would start writing exams. She was in matric, he a third year physiotherapy student. They stayed out later than usual as it would be a few weeks before they would be able to go out again. They were on their way home and GeeJee had already started the car where they were parked in town, when he suddenly noticed these two (very young) armed barbarians on Rochelle's side of the car. They tried to open her door, but it was locked. Their finger prints were all over the car on her side. They opened fire at close range and shot her twice in the head. When GeeJee realised that she had been hit, he sped off in a hailstorm of bullets. (According to the police they must have emptied about two magazines on them). GeeJee rushed Rochelle to hospital and only when he grabbed her from the car he realised that he had also been wounded in one arm and both his legs. The police recovered a bullet on the carseat on the driver's side and three more in the roof of the car, just above where his head was. He is a very tall young man and it is a miracle that he survived this vicious attack. A bullet was removed from his one leg the same night. Rochelle was airlifted by helicopter to Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg. Brain scans were done and they found that one bullet was stuck in the left side of her brain, which, if she would have survived, would leave her paralysed on her right side and unable to speak for the rest of her life. The second bullet went right through her brain. The doctor's were honest from the beginning and said it would be unlikely for her to survive. She never woke up and died 10 hours after the incident.

When GeeJee's parents, who were the first to be informed, arrived at the hospital, they immediately telephoned the police, without any reaction. It took five phone calls and a visit by GeeJee's father to the police station (where they were found drinking tea and eating cake) to get them to the hospital four hours after the shooting. Pictures and fingerprints were taken. The investigating officer, who had been put on the case, never came out that night. GeeJee's mother was instructed to take the car home where she locked it in the garage. Only the next morning did this officer come to their house to inspect the car. About two or three days later, he told GeeJee that he would have good news within a few days. Late August/early September 2000 a man was arrested and this officer told us that an unlicensed fire arm had been found and it had been sent in for ballistic tests. He also said they knew who the second man was, where he lived and that they knew that he had two fire arms and they were watching him and were just waiting for the "right circumstances" to arrest him as they had to make sure he would not be able to escape. This officer even told us that the man he arrested was boasting about what they did. Three identity parades were organised and GeeJee had to come from university every time to attend. Every time something went wrong as all the officers who had to attend did not pitch, etc. One evening the officer telephoned me at home and threatened to arrest GeeJee because he did not attend an identity parade that night. A few days before this he phoned GeeJee to tell him he was going to arrange another parade, but would phone him back with the final arrangements. He never did. After this threatening phone call I drove straight to GeeJee's parents. They tried to contact the officer, but needless to say, he had switched off his cellphone. A fourth identity parade was arranged for 31 October 2000, almost three months after the shooting incident. GeeJee could not identify any of the men as one of the culprits. On 2 November 2000 we were told that the investigating officer's informant was willing to make an affidavit to state that this man admitted guilt. On 17 November 2000 the matter went to court. The case was dismissed as there was no evidence whatsoever that the arrested man was involved in any way. I called for a meeting with the investigating officer and the Superintendent. Myself, GeeJee and his mother and an attorney who worked with me attended the meeting at the police station. To our shock it turned out that no weapon was found (only the bullets had been sent for ballistic tests), the investigating officer suddenly did not know anything about the second man he was supposed to be "watching", he contradicted himself with dates, etc. and no straight answer to any question could be given by him. All he could say was that I did not understand the procedure. I asked him if it was also standard procedure to phone people at night and threaten them with false accusations. He threw the file down on the desk and ran out of the office. I asked questions about the so called parade which was supposed to take place the night before the phonecall. A third person from the police was present and I wanted to know what went wrong that night and why was I telephoned to be threatened. This third person's reply was "nobody pitched" for the parade. In other words, it was again not properly arranged, but GeeJee was accused falsly to cover this officer's incompetence. I wanted to know why we had been given false hope from the beginning, why we were lied to and been traumatised more by these lies. I told them not to ever lie to me again, give me false information or to twist facts when I ask a question. Two weeks after the meeting Rochelle's father informed me that this officer had been taken off the case and that there would probably be an investigation. I have never contacted the police again because I will never trust or believe them again. Does anybody blame me for this? I still have a son of nine. How am I expected to teach him to trust the police if I can not trust them? What did this man gain by doing this to us? All I can make of this is that he did not do what he was supposed to do and wanted to cover himself, no matter what his actions would do to others.

I am going to employ a private investigator. It will cost me a lot of money, but at least I will know that I have done what I could from my side. I do not want revenge, I only want justice and this can only be done by having the culprits arrested. I know in this country they will probably not stay behind bars for long, but at least they will not be able to murder and mentally destroy other innocent people for a while. One day, when they die, proper justice will be served. There are far too many criminals in our country who literally get away with murder. I have often wondered if these two men have parents and if they know what their children are involved with.

GeeJee and Rochelle

GeeJee and Rochelle