#Africa4Palestine: ‘Cold blooded killer’ Grayson Beare should not be allowed to escape justice
Al-Qalam 
The human rights organisation #Africa4Palestine joins fellow South Africans, the Hossen-Preston family, Palestine solidarity activists in Durban and the broader global Palestine human rights advocacy community in utter dismay after learning of the recent presentation by psychiatric evaluators at the Durban Magistrate court that cold-blooded killer Mr. Grayson Beare is unfit to stand trial.
In June 2024, Mr. Grayson Beare entered the home of the Hoosen-Preston family in Durban, wielding a knife, stabbing mother and wife Halima Hoosen-Preston to death and fatally wounding her husband and son with multiple stabs. Subsequently, the murderer confessed to his crimes and stated that his motivation was the Preston family’s solidarity with Palestine and disdain for Israel and its killing machine, the Israeli Defence Forces.
In his initial appearances in the Durban Magistrate’s court, the killer was referred for medical evaluations, and a state surgeon found that he was fit and proper to stand trial. The defence later challenged the report, presented an inconsequential medical history and convinced the court to mandate a further psychiatric evaluation of the criminal. On Tuesday, the 15th of July, the court heard a report from the Fort Napier Psychiatric Hospital stating that Mr. Beare was unfit to stand trial, citing his cognitive inability to judge right from wrong.
We are fiercely opposed to this report and believe it does not represent the facts in this case. It is our strong conviction that this report ignores Mr Beare’s state of mind when he planned and executed this heinous murder. According to him, his irritation with the Hoosen-Prestons’ constant show of solidarity with Palestine was motivation; this shows a clear premeditated plot to inflict maximum pain and casualties, an action of a sane man, although with an evil mind.
We can only imagine the pain and suffering this report has brought to the Hoosen-Preston family, an insult to their intelligence and ignorance of their reality in those moments that led to the loss of their beloved mother and wife.
The prosecutors in this case are discussing with their superiors on how to proceed given this new information and we are confident that, similar to how the defence challenged the initial medical report, they will challenge this recent psychiatric report and withstand that Mr. Beare is fit and proper to stand trial for his crimes that he has confessed to. It is in the best interest of justice to hold him accountable and for the Hoosen-Preston family to find closure.
#Africa4Palestine will work with sister organisations in Kwa-Zulu Natal and Durban in particular, to give the family the necessary support in these difficult times. We remain confident in our legal system to deliver justice where there is wrongdoing.
Alie Komape
Communications and Campaigns Manager
#Africa4Palestine
