‘MASCULINISING’ CAMP OWNER ON TRIAL FOR MURDER
Raymond Buys, shortly before he died
The Vereeniging Regional Court has heard shocking testimony about the death of a teenager at a ranger training camp that sought to turn him into a “real man” and also sought to remove feminine traits from young men so that they would not be gay.
Volksblad reported that camp owner Alex de Koker (49) and employee Michael Erasmus (20) are facing charges of murder, child abuse, neglect and assault with intent to cause serious physical injury.
They have been accused of the murder of Raymond Buys (15) in 2011 at the camp, located to the south of Johannesburg.
On Tuesday, Gerhard Oosthuizen (19), who shared a tent with the dead teenager at the camp, gave disturbing testimony about the abuse that Buys suffered.
He told the court that the teen, who was very weak, was forced to do manual labour and that he was beaten with planks, pipes, sticks, a shovel and a hose when he didn’t do his work correctly.
When he was caught defecating in a field, he was allegedly forced to eat his own faeces. He was also alleged to have been forced to eat washing powder, causing him to vomit and be ill for weeks.
Oosthuizen claimed that Buys was chained to his bed and was not allowed to go to the toilet.
He also testified that he had seen a naked Buys, who was tied to a chair with his head covered with a pillowcase, being shocked with a taser by Erasmus and de Koker.
“He screamed … I was scared and ran away,” said Oosthuizen.
An emaciated and dehydrated Buys was eventually admitted into hospital with brain damage, a broken arm, bruises and cigarette burns on his body. He died two weeks later.
Buys’ mother has said that she had sent him to the three month camp, which cost R22,000, to make him “a better man”. The camp had claimed that it could “make men” of its young wards.
Shockingly, it’s been reported by the Rapport newspaper that two other young men had previously died at the hands of De Koker.
In 2007, Erich Calitz (18) died from brain injuries suffered at the camp while Nicholas van der Walt (19) died at the same camp held in the Northwest province.
Calitz’s sister, Mathilda Groenwald, told the Star newspaper that when her brother tried to leave the camp after being beaten, De Koker “told him that he wasn’t a moffie [gay] and he would make a man out of him”.
De Koker was given a suspended sentence in 2009 over Calitz’s death and was never charged for Van der Walt’s death.
The trial is set to continue next week.
The mother of Raymond Buys should actually also stand trial together with with these two murders for sending her son to this hell hole.
I totally agree with you. In fact every parent with a child that has ever been sent to that camp. should be charged. maybe the best would be to allow tha parents to suffer the same brutality as they made their children suffer. If there is a church behind this. They should be charged with promoting laws against humanity
Every parent who has ever sent a child to one of these camps must be charged
I think this is disgusting. South Africa has laws against this. but it is time that not only should the people running the camp be charged, but each and every parent that sent their child to this sort of horible place. This is religion at its best. They show the world just how hateful religion is. I know I am going to get flack for saying that because there are many christians who are my friends. I am not talking about them or what they belive. I am talking about these hate groups that claim to be christian, use all the tax breaks as a charity and still harm young people. I am talking about the parents who still believe that it is okay to hurt or kill their child, just because of who that child falls in love with. If that is christianity, it should be made against the law.
Keith no where in this article has there been any reference to a religious base for this camp. There are just hateful people out there who will turn their own hate against others. The owners of this camp really must stand trial and when found guilty, must get life. It is a horrific story, religion or no, this kind of “reformatory” camp is against human rights and should not be allowed to exist. The question begs where Social Services were during the approval process of setting up a facility that “cares” for children. If the first crime or inncident was in 2009, surely they should have visited a camp where a child death had happened or been the cause.
Sad.
Lesbians are getting murdered, gay men are getting strangled to death, and parents are sending their own children to these torture camps, some of them in the name of traditional values or religion. Are we in for a gay witch hunt soon? I think now is the time for us to start protesting for our rights again, because they are slowly, almost unnoticeably, being taken away from us.
No doubt the parents are “religious” – sickening! Is there a human rights organisation ensuring civil prosecution as well? For heaven’s sake we need to make sure that we don’t just rely on state criminal prosecution! For sure his family are going to do fuck all – they are as guilty! Please does anyone have main stream media info / links on this crime?
When are we going to realise that South Africa is a very sick society, all is not how it appears on the surface. There are some really damaged people living in our country, low lifes. One has to be extra vigilant as a gay person in 2013, please do not let your guard down. Lesbians being murdered, a gay serial killer on the loose, Pride is a balls up, and now this. There is a lot of hate around and we need protection.
The mother should be put on trial too…
U gotta be fuckin kidding me the the guy gets a suspended sentence for the death of a child 4yrs ago n is still allowed to be near children in a mentor capacity? U know if this country truely hits rock bottom Our children will ask us where were we when it did n what we did to try n stop it. I wonder who among us in this country will have a good answer.
Is this for real? What was the mother (not sure if there is a father involved here) doing while her son was being beaten and starved? Did she just leave the poor kid there and expect a new, improved and “changed” boy after the 3 months? She should be held responsible along with these animals!
This is beyond comprehension! A man kills a child and gets a suspended sentance! Reflection of the judicial system toward gay people. The same man kills another child and nothing happens at all! A reflection of our police service toward Gay people. Now the same man kills another child becuase the child’s mother wants him to be made a “man”! We might have a very liberal constitution but that is not reflected in how the judiciary or the police handle homophobia or hate crimes. This man, his accomplice and the boy’s mother must all be charged with premeditated murder. These people are the epitomy of evil.
Masculinizing camp? That is the first serious WTF? They just spiral outward (and downward) from there…
His mother sent him to a camp to’make him a better man’!!!!! I CAN ONLY PRAY FOR HER!
ARE THERE STILL PEOPLE IN THIS SO CALLED ENLIGHTENED AGE, WHO CANNOT JUST LOVE AND TRY AND UNDERSTAND A GAY CHILD!!!!!!!!
SHE, AND IF THERE IS A FATHER WHO AGREED TO THIS, SHOULD ALSO BE PUT ON TRAIL.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am so angry reading this article. what kind of barbaric mentality is this…and they set this criminal free…South Africa..our ancestors are crying. So call freedom but we are still barbaric!!!
We must right to the National Prosecuting Authority to press that the parents are charged with complicity to murder
Just look at the picture… OMFG!!!!! Hang the fucking lot of them in the town square…parents as well. This looks like something from Nazi Germany…WTF!!!!
I think mr.alex de koker must be put to jail for life…where upon he’s anus should be subjected to severe and constant penetration by his inmates…let them make him the woman they all so dearly wanted ever since…he must be tied to the toilet and gang raped for the rest of his life on earth….piece of shit.