'He has not taken accountability': Leigh Matthews' dad slams Moodley parole
Rob Matthews, the father of slain Leigh Matthews, is concerned that his daughter's killer may be released.
Image: screenshot/SABC
The father of Leigh Matthews, who was murdered 21 years ago at the hands of Donovan Moodley, has expressed his displeasure with the possible release of his daughter’s killer.
Rob Matthews said it makes him sad that the parole board has put forward the recommendation for Moodley’s release on parole.
In a live interview with SABC, Matthews said the recommendation is premature.
“It makes me sad. There are still many unanswered questions, and I think that, as victims and all victims of crime, we should be able to have finality in such an event. I think the recommendation is premature,” he said.
Slain Leigh Matthews was kidnapped and killed.
Image: File picture/Chris Collingridge
Questions such as: “Where was her body kept? Who else was involved? There's no obvious display of rehabilitation.”
Matthews said in previous court hearings, Moodley had made outrageous claims in court papers, which would indicate he was not a man who had been rehabilitated.
“He is a man who made threats to my family. He’s a man who made threats to my legal team. He’s a man who has taken on organisations such as the HPCSA and tried to intimidate them into certain decisions. I think those are factors that certainly need to be seen in the outside world. In the prison environment, you have a very controlled environment. I think due care needs to be taken by people who make decisions to refer prisoners on parole to actually look at the broader picture and make a holistic approach to make a decision,” he said.
Matthews explained the threats from Moodley were as recent as 2024, and one threat was made in court papers.
Donovan Moodley, the killer of student Leigh Matthews, could be a step closer to freedom after the parole board recommended his release.
Image: File
When asked what would convince him of Moodley’s rehabilitation, Matthews said: “Full disclosure of the crime. The part that would convince me is the proper assessment of his risk to society. We don’t see the papers they put forward, and I think that is a big flaw. Because, based on the psychologist's report we did see, you could see that in that report, there were very worrying factors about Mr Moodley,” Matthews said.
The grieving father said they would not have a problem with Moodley’s release; however, the fact that there are still many outstanding matters and that he poses a risk to society and their family remains cause for concern.
When asked if he had forgiven his daughter’s killer, he said: “It is not for me to forgive him, it’s between him and his God.”
Matthews urged those who make the decisions to not just tick off boxes, but dig deeper into the profile of the individual of not only of Moodley, but of any other offender they want to give parole.
“You hear of so many parolees that once they’re out, they offend again. It just makes a mockery of the procedure. Make sure it is foolproof,” he said.
While it may have been more than two decades after his daughter’s death, Matthews said her murder was only one way that affected their family.
“The continuous court applications, continuous denials, those are the things that keep on impacting us. Just when you think you can settle down, he comes again. He has not gone away and taken accountability for his actions, and that’s what keeps opening up those wounds,” Matthews said.
Moodley kidnapped the then 21-year-old Matthews in 2004, outside of her university, and extorted R50,000 from her parents. He ultimately shot her four times, leaving her body in the veld along the R82 highway in Walkerville, 30km outside of Johannesburg.
During his trial, Moodley pleaded guilty.
On August 4, 2005, Moodley was sentenced to life imprisonment for Leigh’s murder, 15 years for kidnapping, and 10 years imprisonment for extortion.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
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