St Stithians breaks silence on teens’ deaths
St Stithians school in Johannesburg has issued a statement regarding the deaths of two former students, Cameron Waldeck-Cooks and Ethan Coetzee. The school is avoiding speculation while police investigate the incident as a potential murder-suicide.
Why it matters
The case has sparked significant public scrutiny and debate regarding the school's handling of the tragedy and its public communication.
Johannesburg private school St Stithians has broken its silence on its handling of the deaths of teenagers Cameron Waldeck-Cooks and Ethan Coetzee, saying it will not contribute to speculation surrounding an ongoing investigation.
In a carefully worded response to the Sunday Times, the school said it had focused on supporting grieving families , pupils and staff while respecting the families’ privacy.
TimesLIVE reported earlier this month that police are investigating a case of murder after preliminary postmortem results showed signs of strangulation in the case of St Stithians schoolgirl Waldeck-Cooks.
Cameron Waldeck-Cooks as remembered by her parents. (Derrick Cooks) The 17-year old was found dead at a guest lodge in Sabie, Mpumalanga, by a cleaner. She was in the same room as her boyfriend, Coetzee, who was also found unresponsive.
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