“I cannot accept that he will be free. He does not have the right to live a normal life. He must spend the rest of his life in prison.”
|||Durban - In a desperate bid to stop her daughter’s rapist and killer from being released on parole, a Chatsworth mother is rallying support through a national petition.
Sharon Jeenabhai said she could not bear the thought of Dhevapragasen (Dean) Munsamy walking free.
She is determined to do everything in her power to ensure he stays behind bars.
In 1995, Jeenabhai’s 10-year-old daughter, Natasha Sukdeo, was kidnapped and held for four days in a cellar.
Her battered body was found hidden in a cut-out mattress in a basement.
Now - after serving 18 years of a 60-year sentence for abduction, rape and murder - Munsamy, 36, will be on day parole for six months, from July 18.
Last week, Jeenabhai came face to face with Munsamy during his parole hearing at Ncome Prison in Vryheid.
“I cannot accept that he will be free. He does not have the right to live a normal life. He must spend the rest of his life in prison.”
The petition calls on communities and individuals to take a stand against Munsamy being released on parole.
It reads: “In a bid to prevent Mr Munsamy from walking the streets again and risking another similar incident, please assist us in signing the petition. It will be used in an application to the Parole Review Board to overturn the decision and prevent Mr Munsamy from being released on parole.”
The petition accused Munsamy of being a threat to children everywhere, as parole authorities have not disclosed where he will be released.
Jeenabhai said the petition was being circulated by e-mail and distributed door to door.
In January last year, Munsamy’s application for parole was dismissed after Jeenabhai submitted a petition with more than 250 000 signatures opposing his release.
She is confident of similar results this time.
Jeenabahi’s attorney, Simi Sharma, is expected to file the review papers and petition the parole board next week.
Daily News