© Ane Venter
Study Unit 3
Psychological Perspectives
1|Page
, © Ane Venter
Case Study:
Serial Killer – Stewart Wilken (Boetie Boer)
----------------- Background Information -----------------
Found abandoned in a phone booth with his sister (2 years old) by a domestic worker.
Brought to Doep (Domestic worker’s employer).
6 months – 2 years
Testimony given by Stewart during trial – Corroborated by neighbour who adopted him.
→ “I remember how Doep burnt my private parts with cigarette ends.”
→ “Doep also took my food from in front of me and threw it to the dogs and I had to eat
together with them out of the same bowl.”
→ “Doep also hit me many times on the head.”
→ “Sometimes Doep committed bestiality with his dogs while he forced me to watch, after
which I always had to lick him clean.”
Adopted by neighbours.
2 years – 9 years
Failed multiple grades, several times and was punished for it.
→ Withheld his Christmas presents because he “wasn’t trying hard enough”.
→ Beat him several times.
Allegedly sexually assaulted at church.
Eventually passed grade 3.
Sent to reformatory school.
→ Court-ordered.
9 years – Adulthood
→ Allegedly sexually assaulted by older boys and belittled.
→ Escaped to hid adopted aunt and eventually returned home where the court decided that he
could go back to normal school if he passed grade 11, which he did.
2 suicide attempts.
Drug abuse
Married and had a daughter. Murders already started.
→ Domestic violence – but loved his daughter.
----------------- Murders & Sentencing -----------------
○ Actively killed from 1990 – 1997.
○ Murdered 12 people – could not determine if one corpse and 2 skeletons we in fact his victims.
- Charged for 10 murders.
○ Received 7 life sentences.
○ Common acts included: 2 victim profiles (daughter is the exception):
- Cannibalism
1. Young boys
- Acts of necrophilia
2. Prostitutes
- Torture
- Strangulation
- Rape
2|Page
Study Unit 3
Psychological Perspectives
1|Page
, © Ane Venter
Case Study:
Serial Killer – Stewart Wilken (Boetie Boer)
----------------- Background Information -----------------
Found abandoned in a phone booth with his sister (2 years old) by a domestic worker.
Brought to Doep (Domestic worker’s employer).
6 months – 2 years
Testimony given by Stewart during trial – Corroborated by neighbour who adopted him.
→ “I remember how Doep burnt my private parts with cigarette ends.”
→ “Doep also took my food from in front of me and threw it to the dogs and I had to eat
together with them out of the same bowl.”
→ “Doep also hit me many times on the head.”
→ “Sometimes Doep committed bestiality with his dogs while he forced me to watch, after
which I always had to lick him clean.”
Adopted by neighbours.
2 years – 9 years
Failed multiple grades, several times and was punished for it.
→ Withheld his Christmas presents because he “wasn’t trying hard enough”.
→ Beat him several times.
Allegedly sexually assaulted at church.
Eventually passed grade 3.
Sent to reformatory school.
→ Court-ordered.
9 years – Adulthood
→ Allegedly sexually assaulted by older boys and belittled.
→ Escaped to hid adopted aunt and eventually returned home where the court decided that he
could go back to normal school if he passed grade 11, which he did.
2 suicide attempts.
Drug abuse
Married and had a daughter. Murders already started.
→ Domestic violence – but loved his daughter.
----------------- Murders & Sentencing -----------------
○ Actively killed from 1990 – 1997.
○ Murdered 12 people – could not determine if one corpse and 2 skeletons we in fact his victims.
- Charged for 10 murders.
○ Received 7 life sentences.
○ Common acts included: 2 victim profiles (daughter is the exception):
- Cannibalism
1. Young boys
- Acts of necrophilia
2. Prostitutes
- Torture
- Strangulation
- Rape
2|Page
