A CROWD of angry Wittedrift and Green Valley residents chanted “we want justice” outside the Plettenberg Bay Magistrate’s Court yesterday during the brief appearance of two teenagers accused of stabbing dead 78-year-old librarian Johanna Blignault.

The placard-waving protesters were prevented from attending the in camera hearing for the boys, aged 16 and 17, but gave a petition to prosecutor Mxolisi Noyi demanding bail be refused. The document was signed by 1004 people.

Shouts of “rot in jail” and “rubbish” rang out when the two boys, handcuffed together and their heads covered with their jerseys, were led to and from the small courtroom by police.

Community leader Dina Esau, who handed over the petition, said the two murder accused were among a group of Green Valley children who had for years been visiting “Tannie Blignault” at her home to ask for food.

“These kids grew up in front of her. She never once turned away a hungry child. Who is going to make sandwiches for the children now?”

The murder was “unforgivable” and she warned Noyi “there is going to be trouble” if the boys were granted bail and returned to Green Valley.

“We are not going to tolerate any more of this. Enough is enough.”

The two boys were brought to court yesterday to apply for bail, but public defender Kirsten Deacon said the bid had been withdrawn and Magistrate Len Goosen remanded them until October 29.

Deacon said there was a possibility the two boys might opt to enter into plea bargain negotiations.

They were arrested at the Green Valley home they shared with the grandmother of one of the boys, hours after Blignault was stabbed in the chest in her home in neighbouring Wittedrift. A bloody knife was found at the crime scene.

They allegedly stole about R150 from Blignault’s purse, along with a DVD player, a radio and groceries. The DVD player was allegedly recovered from the grandmother’s house, while some of the other stolen items were found in bushes outside.

Both boys had been arrested on previous occasions for burglary.

A letter sent by Wittedrift attorney Rikus Truter to Justice Minister Jeff Radebe, saying the state could be held responsible for Blignault’s murder, was released to The Herald yesterday. Truter named several Green Valley youths, including the accused, thought responsible for “a significant crime wave” in Wittedrift over a long period. “These children have been pointed out as the culprits on a number of occasions and have also apparently been arrested by the Plettenberg Bay police, but have been released because they are under-age.”

Truter said he had contacted the Plettenberg Bay police and a Child Welfare worker two months ago to inform them that the teenagers were becoming a serious problem.

He advised them that the absence of any action to protect the community could lead the youths to believe they were untouchable and that their offences could worsen “and even result in murder”.

Truter said he had been told that the authorities’ hands were bound by legislation governing the handling of under-age youths.

The lawyer said his letter “serves to warn” that the state would be held responsible by any local resident harmed by the youths named.

He added he had been told by the father of one of the youths that he had even considered poisoning his son because he was not getting any help from the authorities.

The letter was also forwarded to the Minister of Police, the Western Cape police commissioner and the Plettenberg Bay police station commander.