Norman Avzal Simons, also known as the "Station Strangler," is a South Africanrapist and serial killer who was convicted in 1995 of the rape and murder of 10-year-old Elroy van Rooy. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison.
Biography
Simons was an intelligent individual who enjoyed playing classical music and was capable of speaking seven languages including English, Afrikaans, Xhosa and French. He was employed as a Grade Fiveteacher at Alpine Primary School in Beacon Valley, Mitchell's Plain. Simons' victims were all young boys aged between 9 and 13. Simons and his victims were from the Cape Malay community. Simons is believed to have started his sporadic series of murders in 29 October 1986, ending only with his arrest nine years later in April 1994. He collected his moniker after it became apparent that most of his victims were lured away from train stations. Simons raped and sodomised his victims before strangling them. Victims were found face down with their hands tied behind their backs, buried in shallow sandy graves. In some cases the victims were found with their underwear around their necks, presumably used as a garrote. Hand-written notes were also found next to some victims. Simons' relationship with his older stepbrother seems to have a major bearing on his criminal activities. Simons alleges that his older stepbrother raped and sodomised him as a child. He also reports 'hearing voices' from his brother instructing him to kill. Simons' brother, an alcoholic, was murdered in 1991. Simons appeared before magistrates in 1995 on one charge of murder and kidnap. His trial lasted three months, leading to a conviction and life sentence. He is currently serving his sentence in Drakenstein Maximum Correctional Facility, Paarl. Simons appealed against his conviction in 1998, but his conviction was upheld. In 2005, an inquest was opened into the deaths of the remaining victims. After three years of further analysis, the victims' parents came no closer to an answer. On 9 December 2008, Regional Magistrate Marelize Rolle stated that she believed prima facie evidence showed Simons was probably responsible for the deaths of at least six of the other victims. However, due to the amount of time that had passed, she ruled out further prosecutions in the case. Norman Simons converted to Islam in 1993, taking on the name Avzal, but converted back to Christianity in 1994.
