Skip to playerSkip to main content
CCNTV6
  • 2 years ago
The siblings of Hannah Mathura are no closer to getting justice for the 18 year-old whose existence and even death were kept a secret from much of the world.

The Director of Public Prosecutions received her file on Tuesday from the Police and has ordered that the suspects in her murder be released, to allow the police to gather more evidence.

Meanwhile, we touch base with the attorneys for Hannah's siblings who tell us what life has been like, one week after all was exposed.
Transcript
00:00 Just after 3 o'clock this afternoon, the director of public prosecutions, Roger Gaspard, confirmed
00:06 he was meeting with police officers to receive the remit of the TTPS's investigation into
00:12 the death and illegal interment of 18-year-old Hannah Matura.
00:18 However, two hours later, it appeared that the evidence police gathered was insufficient,
00:23 as Gaspard instructed the two suspects in custody be released and police continue digging
00:30 for more clues into the woman's murder and burial.
00:34 It's exactly one week after police, on receiving what can only be described as "bizarre information",
00:42 went to the family's Butu Road Valsein home, dug up the backyard to discover Hannah's skeletal
00:48 remains in a shallow grave.
00:51 An autopsy revealed she died from a single gunshot wound to the head, believed to be
00:56 from a handgun, in 2017, seven years ago.
01:01 Neighbors suggested the teen and her seven surviving siblings were victims of abuse and
01:06 captivity as they would often hear them screaming and pleading for the abuse to stop.
01:12 We learned from the Matura siblings' attorneys, Sasha Paula Singh and Sanjeev Budu, that one
01:18 week since everything became public knowledge was simply not enough for them to get back
01:23 any semblance of their lives to attend to school or go to work.
01:29 Matura children have been removed, I don't say removed forcibly, but they have, due to
01:37 the circumstances, been removed from their home.
01:41 They are at this time unable to return to their home.
01:43 As such, they have to go through the modes of settling down.
01:51 That is a process in and of itself, so that they are very minded to return to work, return
01:58 to school, as it might apply to each of them.
02:01 But that, of course, will take them some time to settle, to emotionally stabilize.
02:09 And we do expect that they will make attempts to return to work and school sooner rather
02:14 than later.
02:16 As far as the social media attacks on the siblings are concerned, Budu said he would
02:20 not exactly term them harassment, but at times they bother the Matura seven.
02:27 He advises the public there is a lot they do not know of the circumstances at Butu Road,
02:32 as even the children are learning more each day.
02:36 Particularly on social media, when this bout of misinformation continues to be circulated,
02:43 of course, it disturbs the children and the readers.
02:46 A lot of information has been unearthed in the course of these proceedings that these
02:50 children were not even privy to.
02:54 Several facts have come out as a result of the police's investigation that they themselves
02:59 need to grapple with, need to analyze.
03:04 Depending on if and when someone is charged with Hannah's death, we asked if the children
03:10 are now fearful for their safety and exploring protection orders.
03:15 The Matura children are very hopeful that the appropriate course of action will come
03:21 from them sharing their stories finally.
03:24 And they are very hopeful that that will lead to a just outcome.
03:29 In the event that their security is placed at risk, the police have engaged, I understand,
03:35 the support of the victim support unit, and they have other resources at their disposal
03:41 that the Matura children can employ if it becomes necessary to preserve their security.
03:47 We've also spoken with them about the various options that they may have in the event that
03:51 their security becomes threatened.
03:54 And they are taking it under advisement, but at this time it's very much premature to say
04:00 if any of those steps will become appropriate.
04:03 Were they aware there may have been a weapon and in particular a handgun at the home where
04:09 they slept each night?
04:10 We have no such advice.
04:11 We have no such information and no instructions according to those things.
04:17 Even as far as we know with respect to the police's investigations, we are unaware of
04:22 any of those items.
04:24 In terms of whether the statements that the children have given to the police will reflect
04:28 any of that information, we are not in a position to say.
04:32 But as yet, we don't have instructions on the issue of a gun or any handgun.
04:38 DPP Gaspard could not say how long his deliberations will likely take, but attorneys commend the
04:44 police for their handling of the sensitive investigation.
04:48 The police have treated the children with dignity, respect and patience and have been
04:53 very cooperative throughout the process.
04:56 The police have engaged the Victim Support Unit of the TTPS to provide support to the
05:01 Mathura children, for which they are in fact very grateful.
05:05 Hannah Mathura's next of kin are her parents.
05:08 In their absence, her siblings would be charged with carrying out her final rites if and when
05:14 her remains are handed over.
05:16 It is a topic that the siblings have raised with us, with a view to getting their options
05:24 on that particular issue.
05:27 And I can say that it is certainly something they are considering.
05:30 However, no steps have been taken towards that end just yet, because we are not of the
05:35 view that the time for that is appropriate.
05:37 We are not clear on whether the police have completed what is necessary on their end for
05:43 us to make that next step.
05:46 Singh and Voodoo committed to keeping the public informed as the case of the still mysterious
05:51 Hannah Mathura progresses.
05:54 Urvashi Tiwari, Ruknarain, TV6 News.
05:56 Thank you.
05:58 [BLANK_AUDIO]
Be the first to comment
Add your comment