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Friends and family attend the Nateniël Julies memorial service on September 3, 2020, in Eldorado Park.
PHOTO: Sharon Seretlo / Gallo Images
- The year 2020 marks the first time that Nateniël Julies’ family will spend Christmas without him.
- Nateniël’s mother, Bridget Harris, said she misses her 16-year-old son, who was allegedly killed by three Eldorado Park police officers outside her home.
- Harris said every Christmas with her son at home was joyous, but this year it would be bleak.
The year 2020 marks the first time that Nateniël Julies’ family will spend Christmas without him.
Nateniël’s mother, Bridget Harris, said she misses her 16-year-old son, who was allegedly killed by three Eldorado Park police officers outside her home in August.
Harris said:
I’m going to have a sad Christmas without my son at home. I know he would wake us up with a smile on Christmas day and dance for me in new clothes.
Addressing the media, following the appearance in Protea Magistrates Court of police officers Simon Scorpion Ndyalvane, Voster Netshiongolo and Caylene Whiteboy, Harris said she was disappointed that the matter was not ready for trial.
Netshiongolo’s request for bail was postponed until next week, while the case against the three was postponed until January 27 for further investigation.
“I thought we were going to have a Superior Court appointment today. Unfortunately, the matter is not ready for trial. The outcome is very emotional for us at this stage. This will be the first Christmas without my son. His brothers are struggling emotionally. with what happened to his brother. My other children are struggling to concentrate in school. They are struggling. “
Harris continued:
We will miss him very much. Every Christmas with him at home, it was joyous. But without him there would be no Christmas for us because he brought joy to all of us at home. This is a sad time for us at home.
Harris said her son, who had Down syndrome, loved to dance and eat cookies.
“My son was a blessing to me. With him, one day he was like any other. He was a happy boy and we will never forget him,” Harris said.
READ | ‘You have taken something precious from us’: Nateniël Julies’ uncle, as a teenager, is buried
Nateniël’s grandfather, Frank James Julies, sent his condolences to the family of Mikyle Bruiners, 17, with Down syndrome, who was stabbed to death on his birthday last week in Cape Town.
“We know what it is like to lose a child and a relative. We tell them that they must be strong. Children with Down syndrome are special and do not fit into their world, they must fit into their world. They must be strong. Their loss is also our loss. .
“As a family, we are going through a difficult time in court. We always come to hear the arguments of my grandson who was killed by the police. As far as the judicial process is concerned, we are grateful that much progress has been made,” he said.
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