Family of murdered student rejects killer’s apology

Inmate at a state maximum security jail.

The family of Leigh Matthews, a university student who was murdered by Donovan Moodley, says they reject his recent apology. Moody is serving a sentence for abducting Matthews in 2004 while she was studying at Bond University in Sandton. Following the abduction, he demanded ransom from her family and then shot her three times after receiving ZAR50,000 from her father. The following year, he pleaded guilty to murder, along with charges of extortion and kidnapping.

New parole bid

Moodley, who is currently serving life imprisonment for murder, a 15-year sentence for kidnapping, and 10 years for extortion, has now requested parole. He was denied parole in January 2019, but the Gauteng High Court overturned that decision, ordering the holding of a new hearing.

Insufficient remorse?

Leigh Matthews’s father, Rob, does not believe that Moodley has shown remorse for his crime. “I mean there have been four court cases, and that does not show remorse,” he said. Women and Men Against Child Abuse (WMACA) is also against his parole, which the organisation believes shows an un-victim-centric approach to parole. WMACA has commented that there have been several hearings in which Moodley has not fully disclosed all relevant information.

Delay tactics

In a recent attempt to interdict his parole hearing, Moodley claimed that he had not been provided with all the necessary documentation, but his efforts failed. The outcome of the hearing is currently awaited. The parole board will provide a recommendation to the National Council for Correctional Services, which will, in turn, forward a recommendation to the Justice and Correctional Services Minister, who will make the final decision.

Credit: https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/family-of-leigh-matthews-rejects-donovan-moodleys-apology/

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