STELLENBOSCH — 2005 · Unsolved Case
Murder of Inge Lotz
Inge Lotz, a 22-year-old Stellenbosch University student, was found dead in her Stellenbosch flat on 16 March 2005. Neither police nor her family had any clue as to the motive or the identity of the attacker. Her boyfriend was arrested and tried, but the court found the forensic evidence insufficient to link him to the crime and acquitted him; he later won a damages claim against the state. Criticism of how forensic evidence was gathered and presented made the case a symbol of failures in South Africa's justice system. Despite new inquiries initiated by the family and a podcast series, the murder remains unsolved.
- Date
- 2005
- Place
- Western Cape, South Africa, Stellenbosch, ZA
- Category
- Unsolved Case
- Case Status
- Unsolved
- Coordinates
- -33.9300, 18.8600 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 16 March 2005Inge Lotz was found dead in her flat.
- 2007Her boyfriend was tried and acquitted.
- 2013The appeal court ruled in the acquitted man's damages claim against the state.
- 2018Her family and the public renewed calls for answers on the anniversary.
Sources
- News24 — Who killed Inge? 11 years later mysterious Lotz murder still haunts news24.com ↗
- IOL — We remember Inge Lotz iol.co.za ↗
- Wikipedia — Minister van Polisie v Van der Vyver en.wikipedia.org ↗
- IOL
- News24
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.