Norman Afzal Simons

Norman Afzal Simons (born 12 January 1967), known as The Station Strangler, is a South African rapist and suspected serial killer who was convicted in 1995 of the rape and murder of 10-year-old Elroy van Rooyen. He was sentenced to 35 years (25 for murder and 10 for kidnapping) in prison.[1]

Norman Afzal Simons
Born (1967-01-12) 12 January 1967
Cape Town, South Africa
Other names"The Station Strangler"
Criminal penaltyLife imprisonment (25 years for murder, 10 years for kidnap)
Details
Victims22 (1 conviction)
Span of crimes
1986–1995
CountrySouth Africa
Date apprehended
1994

Biography

Simons was an intelligent individual who enjoyed playing classical music and was capable of speaking seven languages including English, Afrikaans, Xhosa and French.[2] He was employed as a Grade Five teacher at Alpine Primary School in Beacon Valley, Mitchell's Plain.[1][3] Simons' victims were all young boys aged between 9 and 13.[4] His victims were majority from the KHOIKHOI First nations community.[5]

Murders

Simons is believed to have started his sporadic series of murders on 29 October 1986,[6] ending only with his arrest nine years later in April 1994.[7] He collected his moniker after it became apparent that most of his victims were lured away from train stations (Soviet serial killer Andrei Chikatilo had a similar modus operandi).

Simons raped and sodomised his victims before strangling them. Victims were found face down with their hands tied behind their backs, buried in shallow sandy graves. In some cases the victims were found with their underwear around their necks, presumably used as a garrote. Hand-written notes were also found next to some victims.[4] Simons' relationship with his older stepbrother seems to have a major bearing on his criminal activities. Simons alleges that his older stepbrother raped and sodomised him as a child. He also reports 'hearing voices' from his brother instructing him to kill. Simons' brother, an alcoholic, was murdered in 1991.

Simons appeared before magistrates in 1995 on one charge of murder and kidnap. His trial lasted three months, leading to a conviction and life sentence. He served 28 years of his sentence in Drakenstein Maximum Correctional Facility, Paarl. Simons appealed against his conviction in 1998, but his conviction was upheld. Simons was released on 20 July 2023, to the dismay of the Parow community.

In 2005, an inquest was opened into the deaths of the remaining victims. After three years of further analysis, the victims' parents came no closer to an answer. On 9 December 2008, Regional Magistrate Marelize Rolle stated that she believed prima facie evidence showed Simons was probably responsible for the deaths of at least six of the other victims. However, due to the amount of time that had passed, she ruled out further prosecutions in the case.[8]

Norman Simons converted to Islam in 1993, taking on the name Afzal, but converted back to Christianity in 1994.[9]

See also

References
  1. Bailey, Candice (16 August 2005). "Revisiting the Station Strangler cases". IOL. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  2. Serial Killer Crime Index.
  3. Whitaker, Raymond (19 April 1994). "Coloured teacher charged in 'Cape Strangler' murder". The Independent. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  4. "iAfrica : Worst Criminals of South Africa.". Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2010.
  5. "Is Man Who Killed Boy S. Africa's Serial Strangler?". Deseret News. Reuters. 14 June 1995. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  6. Station Strangler up for Parole
  7. "Suspect held in 21 killings". The Tuscaloosa News. 11 July 1994. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  8. Cape Argus : No further prosecutions for Simons.
  9. Pistorious, M. 2005. Profiling Serial Killers and other crimes in South Africa. Penguin Books, South Africa. page 170. ISBN 0-14-302482-5
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