Paralysed Schoolboy’s Family Voices Anger Over Lenient 5-Year Sentence for Stabbing Offender

• A child offender was sentenced to five years for stabbing a fellow pupil, leaving the victim paralysed
• The victim's family expressed deep dissatisfaction with the lenient sentence, calling it inadequate for the lifelong consequences
• The victim, now quadriplegic, struggles with emotional trauma following the incident and the court's outcome

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

KWAZULU-NATAL, DURBAN - The family of a young boy who was left paralysed after a stabbing incident at Westridge High School in Durban left the Durban Regional Court in shock after the accused was handed a five-year imprisonment sentence.

Attempted murder accused sentenced to five years

The child offender accused of attempted murder received the sentence to be served at the Ekuseni Youth Correctional Centre in Newcastle. The family of Joshua Petersen expressed their anger and stated that the sentences only add to their pain. The father said that the justice system has let them down. He stated that his son is permanently paralysed, but the accused only received a five-year sentence. He noted that his son endures pain daily. The father said that his son is supposed to be living like a normal 18-year-old.

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"He is bedridden for life. It's painful for us; it's hurtful; our wound is open, and they put more salt in it. They are stabbing us more than what this boy did. They are kicking us down; we are on the floor,” he told IOL.

The mother of the victim could not hold back tears when she told the other family members about the sentence. She expressed dissatisfaction with the sentence handed down and indicated that it does not reflect the severity of her son's condition. She stated that her son would spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair, arguing that the five-year sentence imposed was inadequate in light of the lifelong impact of his injuries. She indicated that she had expected a harsher penalty and described the outcome as unjust.

Joshua was stabbed twice

The incident occurred on 29 January 2025, when Joshua was stabbed twice, including wounds to the neck and abdomen. Medical assessments later confirmed that he is quadriplegic and will not regain the use of his limbs. Despite significant mobility challenges, Joshua attended court in an effort to find closure and confront the individual responsible for the attack. His family indicated that the emotional strain surrounding the sentencing process had a severe impact on him. His mother reported that he experienced panic attacks and was unable to sleep the night before the court proceedings.

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Following the sentencing, Joshua was described as withdrawn, staring out of a window and unable to articulate his emotions. His family indicated that the legal process has compounded their trauma. They maintained that the sentence does not adequately reflect the seriousness of the crime or its lifelong consequences.

Mpumalanga man arrested for allegedly fatally stabbing niece

Briefly News also reported that the South African Police Service arrested a man who allegedly took the life of his niece at Phola Park in Mpumalanga.

The man allegedly viciously attacked the little girl, who was rushed to the hospital, where she died of her wounds

Source: Briefly News