It has been 4 months since Hannah Cornelius’s parents heard the news of her tragic death, since then they have taken comfort in helping other parents.
The day Anna and Willem Cornelius heard about their beautiful daughter’s murder was a devastating and heartbreaking one. Not one person could ever understand unless they too have felt the pain of losing a child in such a violent and tragic manner.
It has only been 4 months since that day and Anna and Willem have done something incredible. They have started a trust in honour of their daughter, calling it the Hannah Cornelius Trust (HCT). The trust will focus on parents and families that have lost children in a violent way.
It all started a month after Hannah’s passing. They heard a story on the news about 14-year-old Ocean View resident, Camron Britz, who had been found in the bushes just like their own daughter. The couple rushed to Camron’s parents, Bernice Britz and Melwyn Rubain to offer comfort and see what they could do to help.
“When I saw her all I could do was hold her and say ‘I know’,” – Anna
“When I drove away from there I thought about how we can afford to go to a psychologist, how we can try and find ways to live with this but there are so, so many who have no way of accessing help,” – Willem
Anna and William are both prominent members of the legal community. William is the Chief Magistrate in his district and Anna was a brilliant Criminal Attorney. Anna has walked away from her career to focus solely on running the Trust.
Gang violence is the leading cause for the number of violent and brutal deaths in the Cape. It is because of this that Cape Town is listed as the 13th most dangerous place in the world. There have been many names before Hannah and there will be many to follow but Anna refuses to let those names disappear into the chaos.
“The abnormal is now normal but we cannot just allow this to continue. We cannot see another name of another murdered girl or child and turn the page because it is too much. Under Hannah’s name we will list those of all the others,” – Anna
HCT will be launched at the end of October. The trust will help to repair and “bind the shattered fabric of South African society through education” by offering bursaries. It will also help the victims and survivors of crime and violence.
“There is more good in this world than evil. If every good person in South Africa raised their hand and committed to bringing change in one other person’s life, then within two generations South Africa could realistically be the global country of choice for all.”
“It will be my life’s work. It has to be. We must change this country. We must heal each other.” – Anna
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