The family of a 79-year-old woman found beaten and stabbed to death in her Cape Town home a week ago is offering a reward for any information leading to the conviction of her attackers.

The beaten and bloody body of Susan Loubser was found in her Ruyterwacht home last Friday night.

Loubser’s daughter Merle Holdsworth told News24 her mother’s body was discovered by her siblings at about 20:30.

“She was found in her bedroom with stab wounds to her throat and chest. Her jaw was broken and her eye was swollen shut. Her glasses were shattered and damaged on her face,” an emotional Holdsworth said.

Loubser’s body appeared to have been dragged from the front door to her room.

“She didn’t deserve to die so brutally. It’s horrific,” she cried.

Loubser’s daughter had visited her two hours before the attack.

‘Extremely security conscious’

Her grandson Jacques Griffiths said his aunt confirmed his grandmother had locked the gate when she left and had also secured the bolts on her front door.

“My grandmother was extremely security conscious. Her biggest fear was being raped inside her home. She would never have been negligent enough to leave herself vulnerable to thieves,” he insisted.

A neighbour heard shouts coming from next door shortly after 20:00.

“She called my uncle who lives across the road and told him something was wrong,” he said.

The security gate was found ripped from its hinges when his uncle jumped over the property’s main gate.

Smeared blood could be seen on the floor where the body had been dragged from the front door.

Only a flat screen TV set, bought for her by a relative six weeks ago, and a DVD player were missing from Loubser’s house.

Provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Andre Traut confirmed the incident was currently under investigation.

No arrests have yet been made.

‘May have known attacker’

Holdsworth believed her mother knew her attacker.

“She would not open the door or even go to the gate if she didn’t recognise the voice calling her. If she had heard a commotion outside, she would go investigate, but wouldn’t put herself in a situation where she would have to face a criminal.

“She was helpful to all who needed assistance, from people to needy animals. But while she had a good heart, my mother was also very, very careful.”

The family has scraped together a R10 000 reward payable for any information which leads to the arrest and conviction of Loubser’s murderer.

“I just want to know who did this to her,” Holdsworth said.

“Why would they take her from us this way? We had just started planning her 80th birthday. Now we are instead arranging her funeral.” News24