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Teresa and Steven van Zyl, bludgeoned into comas, asleep in bed, Sundra smallholdings Dec 7 2010

Pregnant Afrikaner mom Teresa and her husband Steven van Zyl were brutally bludgeoned in their beds at 1am on Tuesday December 7 2010 in Denne Avenue, Sundra smallholdings in Gauteng province. Their 14-month-old son Edwin-James was asleep in his bed next to his parents. Mrs Van Zyl is 8 months pregnant. The couple is in critical condition in hospital.

Mrs Van Zyl’s dad Joe Pretorius said the entire room looks like a bloodbath. “The entire bed, bedroom wall and also various places inside the apartment is smeared with blood.” Police suspect that the attackers, armed with hammers, broke into a tiny bathroom window and then proceeded to hack away at the couple asleep in their beds. A portion of Mr Van Zyl’s skull was crushed and his jaw-bone was completely severed from his face. He works at Midas in Springs as a mechanic. Bloodied hammers and hammer-heads were left behind on the bed and in the apartment. The baby was spattered with blood but unharmed, said the grandparents who now are looking after their little grandson. Mrs Van Zyl managed to flee to her brother J J Pretorius who lives abou 40 metres away from them. The couple was first rushed to Delmas hospital for stabilisation but then transferred to the Johannesburg general hospital. Mr Pretorius said it looks as if the unborn child has not been injured during the attack. ‘My beautiful child’s face probably will be scarred for the rest of her life,’ he said, heartbroken. SAPS station commander in Sundra, captain Salomé van der Westhuizen, said the stench of blood was ‘overwhelming’ at the crime scene. She also noticed that very little of any value was stolen: a worthless casing of a computer, and a cheap DVD-player. Many valuable items were left untouched in the apartheid. Contact her at telephone 00136611225 http://www.beeld.com/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/Boewe-val-paar-aan-met-hamers-20101207