What happened
Several children disappeared in South Africa in the late 1980s in cases investigators linked to Gert van Rooyen and his partner Joey Haarhoff.
The investigation
Police searches, witness accounts and evidence from properties associated with the couple created strong suspicion, but the missing children were not recovered.
What the courts or investigators concluded
Van Rooyen killed Haarhoff and then himself in 1990, ending the possibility of a criminal trial and leaving major questions unanswered.
Why the case remains significant
The disappearances remain among South Africa’s most haunting cold cases because families were left without bodies, judicial findings or a complete account of what happened.
Case context
Crime by Region organizes cases geographically so readers can move from one file to other investigations from the same country. For unresolved or contested cases, the wording above reflects the distinction between confirmed events, investigative theories and findings actually established in court.