A Hanover Park family is reeling in shock after finding the body of their 17-year-old daughter, who had been bludgeoned to death and dumped on a veldjie days after she went missing.
The horrific discovery near Crystal High on Sunday afternoon sent shockwaves through the Cape Flats community.
Jehaan Petersen’s face was destroyed beyond recognition.
Her hartseer family say just before she went missing, the teen told them that if she dies they should look for a gangster named Georgie, who was “obsessed” with her.
Aunt Tasneem Losper, 60, says Jehaan had lived with her since she was four, and was excelling at school but had recently started using drugs.
“She was at Groenvlei High but she left between February and March because she started to smoke tik,” says Tasneem.
“I last saw her Thursday past and that is when she went missing.
“She told me that this man was obsessed with her and wanted to rape her.
“I wanted to tell the police but I was scared he would kill her, and now I regret not saying anything.”
After Jehaan’s disappearance, her arme family searched for her at mortuaries and hospitals but could not find her.
On Saturday morning, they received news that she had been killed and dumped on a field. They went to look but could not find her body.
They contacted Philippi SAPS and another search of the area came up empty.
Ouma Shakeela Rhode, 49, who is Tasneem’s sister, says: “It was getting dark and the police said they will come back the next day.
“That morning I went again with the community who helped me, but we found nothing.”
But later on Sunday, they received frantic calls from residents who found Jehaan’s body.
Tasneem says: “She was laying on her back with her fists clenched like she was in a fight.
“They bashed her head in with two concrete slabs, so badly that you could not even make her face out and it appears that she was shot in the neck.
“We don’t know if she was raped as her pants were still up, but they [police] will probably do tests.”
Police spokesperson sergeant Wesley Twigg confirms the incident.
He says: “Philippi police were called to the crime scene where they found the victim with open wounds to her body and head.
“The motive for the attack is yet to be established. A murder case was registered for investigation.
“The unknown suspect or suspects fled the scene and are yet to be arrested.”
Tasneem says at this stage it is unknown when Jehaan’s janaazah will be held as her mother had to submit DNA samples to confirm the meisie’s identity.
Anyone with any information about this incident can contact detective sergeant Ayanda Tolbaard on 073 532 3865 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.