Jesse Hess and grandfather commemorated with candle lighting ceremony

Sunday marks a year since the late Cape Town theology student, 18-year-old Jesse Hess, and her grandfather, Chris Lategan, were both found dead in a flat in Parow.

Neighbours had seen Chris’ body through the bathroom window after Jesse’s aunt asked another tenant to check on them when she couldn’t reach them by phone. Jesse’s body was found inside the flat when neighbours kicked down the door. They were believed to have been strangled.

The Western Cape’s Community Safety MEC, Albert Fritz attended a memorial on Sunday commemorating the two with a candle lighting ceremony. MEC Fritz has previously requested that the Department of Community Safety’s Court Watching Brief unit monitor the court processes relating to the double murder.

“I have tasked Advocate Leslie Morris with monitoring and reporting on cases, as part of the oversight mandate of the Department relating to Gender Based Violence and Domestic Violence cases, which have been struck off court rolls due to police inefficiencies and ineffectiveness. Going forward, the Court Watching Brief (CWB) unit will provide quarterly reports unpacking trends and referral blockages to be addressed by the relevant stakeholders,” Fritz said.

Done By: Mitchum George