Hewitt’s Defence approached State Advocate Brits for permission for Hewitt to hand himself in to St Albans Correctional Facility tomorrow (Tues 20th), close to his home, to start his sentence. This was approved by Judge Spilg of the Johannesburg High Court due to Hewitt’s ailing health and not been able to travel the distance to Johannesburg. It is just over a week since the Constitutional Court denied the 76 year old leave to appeal the length of his jail term.
One of Hewitt’s victims, Theresa ‘Twiggy’ Tolken, reacted to the news, saying “My mother and I have been waiting for tomorrow for a very long time. I just wish my dad was around to witness this day. Bob Hewitt has tried to evade justice and tried anything at his disposal to stay out of jail for the past few years! He has continually lied about his despicable actions. The truth always catches up with you and hopefully this is a lesson for other paedophiles out there, don’t ever think you are above the law, you will be caught! To all the other victims, don’t be afraid to speak up, there are people and organisations like Women and Men Against Child Abuse out there who will hold you up and support you through your ordeal”.
Women and Men Against Child Abuse (WMACA) are sending their advocacy team to PE to be at the facility as Hewitt hands himself in. They played an integral part in bringing justice by pressuring the National Prosecuting Authority to put this case on the court roll in 2012, after it had been sitting on the desk of the NPA with no action since 2011.
The group’s director Miranda Friedmann says “When Hewitt’s victims started this fight the odds were stacked against them. Our organisation has been with them throughout. I’ve seen their courage first-hand, as well as the toll the process has taken. Seeing Hewitt behind bars will be a victory for them”
When he is finally jailed it will end a fight for justice that has taken 5 years, including countless delays, extensions and appeals from Hewitt, a process that has put “untold stress and heaped extra hurt” on his victims, Miranda says. “He has made numerous attempts to argue his age should mean he should be granted leniency for what he did. Now the system needs to keep him in jail for a considerable time, to show historic crimes are as relevant today as they were when they happened, that punishment will be given and that other perpetrators face the same fate if they abuse children”.
