Satanism occuring in and close to Johannesburg, South Africa is becoming an increasingly alarming topic hitting worldwide news headlines with two separate cases involving the ritual killings of two teenagers by their teenaged friend(s). While one trial is still in the process of hearing the accused parties take the stand, another has delivered a sentence of eight years to one young girl who confessed to killing her friend, Keamogetswe Sefularo, in an attempt to move up in the ranks of the Satanic cult she joined in Randfontein, west of Johannesburg.
The deceased, Keamogetswe Sefularo, and her friend, joined a Satanic cult together, but after only attending a few meetings, Sefularo decided to part ways with the group. However, her friend saw her as a threat to the group because she could identify the other Satanists, and had already learned secrets pertaining to the cult. The confessed killer revealed that she felt if she wished to be promoted within the group, she would have to kill someone. She stated that she volunteered to take the life of her friend.
Taking a knife from home and concealing it in her school bag, the confessed killer and others lured Sefularo out to the veld, where they planned to kill her. The girl used the knife to stab Sefularo in the chest, neck and stomach, while her 19-year-old boyfriend encouraged her to continue on with the deed. During the attack, it was reported that Sefularo had tried pleading with her friend, touched her, and asked why she was committing such an act. The attacked teen did not die right away from her injuries, but instead, passed away later in a hospital.
The confessed killer revealed some of the acts associated with the Satanic cult that she belonged to, such as paying visits to graveyards, as well as members cutting themselves while other members sucked the blood that flowed from the cuts. One of the lawyers of the case noted that such acts are becoming increasing prevalent amongst the younger population in the region.
Many young people are lured into Satanic cults because they believe that they will gain some sort of benefit, such as wealth, power, invincibility, and/or esteem amongst their peers. In the Randfontein case, the confessed killer believed that she would experience financial gain from joining the Satanic cult. She told others that she believed her spirit would be able to pass through the key holes of a bank so that she could steal money. Despite her folly and age, the court and a psychological evaluation found that no one controlled the actions of the girl when she took the life of her friend.
The High Court in Johannesburg sentenced the teenage girl to eight years in juvenile prison for the confessed killing of her friend. Judge Geraldine Borchers imposed a sentence of 10 years with two years suspended. The guilty teen will serve her years out in the juvenile section of the Leeuwkop prison. Borchers stated that if the accused had been 10 years older, she would have imposed a life sentence.