It’s Monday morning August 18th, 2008 at a school in Krugersdorp. The bell has just rung for morning assembly so all the students are making their way towards the hall in groups, chatting among themselves. 

Two 16-yo boys Jacques Pretorius and his friend JC are walking in together when the unthinkable happens. They didn’t have any real warning. Some kids in the vicinity said they heard someone say “Want to see something cool?” just before that someone swung a sword at Jacques, catching him at the neck. He fell to the ground, while all around them kids began to scream and run. 

This is a story of a horrific school attack, but also sensationalist media and South Africa’s satanic panic.

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Sources:

·      Nic Diederichs Technical High School slashing - Wikipedia

·      Harmse 'liked to sharpen sword': South Africa: News: News24

·      'Want to see something cool?': South Africa: News: News24

·      The Times - The devil didn’t make him do it

·      ‘Satanist’ kills boy at school | Witness

·      Sword attack was 'carefully planned'

·      Satanic link to school murder

·      ‘Satanist’ kills boy at school | Witness

·      22 August 2008. South Africa. Jacques Pretorius, who was killed by a... News Photo - Getty Images

·      Today, 10 years ago, a boy walked into his school with a samurai sword ... | Krugersdorp News

·       Harmse 'wanted to be noticed'

·       He planned a massacre …

·       What now, sir?  https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/now-what-sir-412851#.UYUQNaJTCz4

·       https://mg.co.za/article/2009-09-10-sword-killer-harmse-sentenced-to-20-years-in-jail/

·       https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/the-mercury-south-africa/20090911/282415575321533

·       https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2009-04-15-i-swung-sword/

·       https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/sword-boy-tells-of-ghost-414082

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