SA| Child killer Melvin Volkwyn sentenced to 20 years in jail as judge calls him a monster

Cape Town – Convicted child killer Melvin Volkwyn was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment by the Western Cape High Court, for the murder of one-year-old Orderick Lucas, in May 2017.

Passing sentence, Acting Judge Nolundi Nyati said that Volwkyn, 42, who was convicted of Lucas’s murder on August 25, was “a monster” and deserved a longer jail term than the recommended 15 years.

Judge Nyati said Volkwyn had behaved like a wolf in sheep’s clothing appearing to everyone as if he was innocently looking after Orderick and yet, all the while, he was abusing him.

“Orderick was a one-year-and-ten-month-old baby, needing love and care, and instead he suffered a slow death at Volkwyn’s hands,” said Judge Nyati.

During judgment, the court commented that the fact that the accused cried during the court proceedings is no indication that he was remorseful, and that there is a distinction between regret and remorse.

Judge Nyati said that the accused had been untruthful. While the family of the deceased was looking for the deceased, the accused – at no stage – disclosed to the family where the deceased was.

She said that it takes a community to raise a child and reiterated that members of the community are called upon to be proactive in protecting children, assisting social workers, and notify authorities when children are not taken care of.

Lucas, who was a year old at the time of his death, in May 2017, was the son of Davedine Lucas and Kounkou Dziendelet.

At the time of Orderick’s death, he and his other siblings were placed into the foster care of their grandparents, after an investigation into the domestic circumstances of the Lucas household.

Although expressly forbidden by the court order, the children occasionally spent weekends with Davedine, instead of being with their grandparents.

On Friday, March 22, 2017, Orderick and his siblings were again with their parents, after their father Dziendelet took them from their grandmother’s house.

On Sunday evening, March 24, 2017, Davedine visited her friend Eon Adams, accompanied by Orderick.

She left Adams’ house to attend to an allegation of theft against her. She asked Volkwyn to look after her son. She did not return to Adams’ house that evening. Volkwyn took Orderick with him to his house.

Four days later, Orderick’s family discovered that he was missing.

On April 2, 2017, a group of children playing on the street discovered Orderick’s body, in a storm water drain.

Acting Director of Public Prosecutions in the Western Cape advocate Nicolette Bell welcomed the sentence.

“This was one of the last matters that state advocate Mornay Oscar Julius litigated before his untimely passing. He died from Covid-19 complications, after spending some time in hospital

“In this case, he ensured justice for Orderick, his grandparents, his siblings, and the community. He has served the organisation, the community, and justice, with integrity and honour.

“His hard work and dedication to serving the community is echoed in this matter,” said Bell.