Rundu ‘Self-confessed killer’ walks free
By Maria Kandjungu
MURDER accused Castro Domingo, who allegedly admitted to killing and burying his girlfriend, Cecilia Deborah Murotwa in Rundu two years ago has been released from custody after his case was removed from the court roll last week.
Domingo faced a charge of murder read with the provisions of the Domestic Violence Act, and a charge of defeating and obstructing the course of justice for strangling, killing and burying his then 26-year-old girlfriend.
Rundu Magistrate Sonia Samupofu ruled that the case be removed from the roll and for the murder accused to be released as a result of the failure of the State to bring the docket and evidence to court last Monday.
The gruesome details of the death of the late Murotwa surfaced after her family reported her as a missing person two years ago.
The police took the alleged assailant in for questioning early on 11 February 2018.
The following day, after vigorous questioning, Domingo is said to have confessed to the police about strangling the woman to death in Mukwe constituency and transporting her body to Rundu – about 200km from Mukwe – where he then secretly buried her in a shallow grave.
It was reported that he could not accept that their relationship had ended.
After allegedly confessing to the murder, Domingo accompanied the police and showed them where he buried his girlfriend, who was a newly appointed teacher at Martin Ndumba Combined School at the time of her demise.
Domingo was set to enter a plea before the Rundu Magistrates Court in terms of section 119 of the Criminal Procedure Act on 19 May but the court proceedings could not go ahead as scheduled because the police failed to bring their evidence and the docket to court.
Concerned community members and family of the deceased woman have since taken to social media platforms to express their anger and disappointment over the release of the suspected killer, with one relative starting an online petition to the Rundu magistrate that had been signed by over 390 people at the time of submitting this report.
Launched on 24 May, the petition reads, “My beautiful sister was murdered at her workplace and buried 90km from the crime scene. He pleaded guilty and took the police where he buried her in 2018. Now in 2020, he is free. Please help me and my family, friends get justice for Deborah.
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State Advocate Simba Nduna told Confidente that Domingo’s case docket had been sent back to the police for further investigation following a review by Prosecutor General’s Office.
“It is not to say we were not satisfied with the evidence provided to us. Our duty is to review the case and find areas that may not have occurred to the police and that could assist in improving the case. So, we reviewed the case and identified those areas and sent it back for further investigation.”
He gave assurances that the case will be brought back to court as soon as the recommended investigation has been completed. “It will definitely be brought back after the necessary investigation and further information have been added.
The matter is not completed.
“We just found areas that may have been obvious from the public point of view that the police could have overseen but it is definitely not the end of the case. It is unfortunate that the magistrate released the accused, but everyone should be assured that this is not the end.”