Mother stabbed son 15 times after learning her boyfriend is married, family says

The family of the late Amare Boois (1), who was stabbed at least 15 times by his biological mother, believes the fatal attack was triggered by the mother discovering – belatedly – that the baby’s father was a married man whose wife forgave him for the infidelity.An emotional Ansua Hammerslaght, Amare’s paternal aunt, recounted the heartbreaking final weeks before the boy was taken from his grandmother’s care by his mother – only to be violently killed two months later.“Amare had chubby cheeks and the most beautiful blue eyes. We loved him deeply, and he was dear to our hearts,” Hammerslaght said.Amare passed away just 40 days after his first birthday. Born on 6 December 2021, he tragically died on 12 January 2023 – allegedly at the hands of his own mother, former police officer Vapeni Boois (36).Hammerslaght reached out to Namibian Sun to refute misconceptions raised in Vapeni’s High Court statements, where she told judge Philanda Christiaan that she had felt unsupported and neglected by both her own family and that of her son’s father.Welcome According to Hammerslaght, the paternal family only learned of Amare’s existence when he was eight months old, in August 2022.“Lucia [Vapeni] arrived at my mother’s house in Rehoboth with the help of local police to locate Amare’s paternal family. She told my mother she couldn’t care for Amare and wanted us to take him in. We had no objections – in fact, we were overjoyed to welcome him into our family,” she recalled.Three months later, Vapeni allegedly arrived at the house, accompanied by police officers from the gender-based violence (GBV) unit, and demanded to take Amare back into her care.“My mother desperately begged them to ensure that Vapeni was capable of caring for him and meeting his needs. She pleaded with them, but they insisted that, as his biological mother, she had the right to take him, and my brother would have to file for legal custody. That day in November 2022, they took AJ from my mother’s care – and just two months later, in January, she killed him.”Hammerslaght’s late sister, Dessery Hammerslaght, travelled to Keetmanshoop in the Bethanie area to identify Amare’s body. “My sister held it together for the family – she attended the court proceedings – but sadly, she passed away in March. Now, our family is mourning two losses. It’s overwhelming and weighs heavily on us,” she said.Difficult relationshipIn court on Monday, Vapeni made shocking accusations against Amare’s father, claiming that he had raped her at some point during their relationship. Hammerslaght, who chose not to disclose Amare’s father’s name due to the sensitivity of the matter, denied the allegations but confirmed that the pair had a tumultuous relationship, particularly after Vapeni discovered he was married.“She had a difficult time accepting that he was married and even sent voice notes and WhatsApp messages to his wife, informing her of his infidelity and that he had a child with her. However, he and his wife managed to reconcile, and I believe that is what fuelled her resentment.”She added that her brother has not healed and is struggling to come to terms with the loss of his son. The family is calling for justice, believing it is the only way they can begin to heal properly.rita@nmh-hub.com.na

Mother stabbed son 15 times after learning her boyfriend is married, family says

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-18

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Mother stabbed son 15 times after learning her boyfriend is married, family says

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-18

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