De Villiers was convicted over the d+aths of eight-year-old Caleb, five-year-old Gradwell and two-year-old Joshua Booysen, who d!ed on November 20, 2021, after she deliberately drove a vehicle off Bainskloof Pass.
The Worcester Regional Court heard that De Villiers had asked the children to bid their great-grandfather farewell before assuring them that no one would hurt them again.
According to evidence presented by the prosecution, she collected the children while their caregiver attended a wedding. They spent the day swimming and playing at her home before she put them in her vehicle, supposedly to return them to their caregiver.
The children reportedly cried and begged to remain with her. However, De Villiers drove in the opposite direction of their home and travelled about 23 kilometres to Bainskloof Pass.
Prosecutor Cornelius Prinsloo argued that she intended to k!ll herself and the children by driving off a cliff. Upon reaching the summit, she proceeded through a gap in the barriers, causing the vehicle to plunge down the mountainside before landing in a riverbed.
De Villiers was wearing a seatbelt, while the children were unrestrained. All three children d!ed from multiple blunt force injuries, while she survived the crash.
The court heard that the vehicle was mechanically sound, De Villiers was sober at the time, and visibility conditions were good.
Before sentencing, De Villiers pleaded guilty, but the State rejected part of her plea explanation in which she claimed diminished responsibility. The court consequently entered a plea of not guilty on her behalf, while accepting the remainder of her statement as formal admissions.
In her admissions, De Villiers said her motive was to spare herself and the children from further suffering.
She was later referred to Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital for a 30-day mental observation. A psychiatric panel found in a report compiled in June 2024 that she was mentally fit, understood the wrongfulness of her actions and was capable of acting in accordance with that understanding. The panel found no evidence of psychosis, and De Villiers did not contest its findings.
During mitigation, she testified about her difficult upbringing, experiences of poverty and three suicide attempts during adolescence. She also described suffering from depression after a January 2020 motor vehicle accident involving her and her stepdaughter, who later d!ed from burn injuries sustained in the collision.
In arguing for a lengthy custodial sentence, Prinsloo acknowledged her personal hardships and depression but maintained that they could not outweigh the deliberate killing of three young children entrusted to her care.
The court sentenced De Villiers to 20 years’ direct imprisonment on each count of murder but ordered that the sentences run concurrently, resulting in an effective 20-year prison term.
National Prosecuting Authority provincial spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila commended the prosecution team and investigating officer Warrant Officer Michael Pretorius for their work on the case.
“The NPA commends the diligent work of the investigating officer, Warrant Officer Michael Pretorius, and Prosecutor Cornelius Prinsloo, whose scrutiny of the accused's plea ultimately strengthened the State's case and ensured that justice was served for the victims,” Ntabazalila said.
He added that the NPA remained committed to holding perpetrators of violent crimes accountable and securing justice for vulnerable members of society, particularly children.
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