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In a tragedy that has shaken the close-knit coloured community of The Hague in Delft to its core, nine-year-old Jody Windvogel, a bright-eyed Grade 3 learner at Delft North Primary School, took his own life on Sunday afternoon, 16 November 2025. The little boy, described by his mother as “my shadow, my baby and everything,” was found hanging from a rope in the family’s modest backyard by his older brother. Despite desperate attempts to save him, Jody could not be revived.
This was the second time in recent months that the child had attempted to end his young life. On the previous occasion, family members had managed to resuscitate him. This time, fate was cruelly unforgiving.
“He was my everything” – A mother’s shattering grief
Judith Windvogel, 36, was in the kitchen of their small home on The Hague Avenue preparing Sunday lunch when the unimaginable happened.
“I was cooking pap and vleis, doing laundry at the same time,” she told reporters through tears on Tuesday, her voice breaking with every word. “Jody came inside and asked for food. I told him, ‘Mammie, wait until the food is ready, then I’ll dish up for you.’ He loves birds, especially his dove. I thought he had just run outside to play with it like he always does. He adored that bird. He would stand there for hours watching it.”
Minutes later, Jody’s older brother burst into the house screaming: “Mammie! Come quick! See what Jody is doing outside!”
Judith dropped everything and ran.
“When I got to the backyard I saw the rope around his little neck. He was already on his knees, his body limp. I screamed and pulled the rope off immediately. We tried everything mouth-to-mouth, chest compressions but my baby was already gone,” she said, clutching a school photograph of Jody beaming in his trademark gap-toothed smile.
A second attempt no one saw coming
The family confirmed that this was not Jody’s first suicide attempt. Several months ago he had tried to take his life in a similar manner, but relatives found him in time and managed to revive him.
“We thought he was okay after that,” said the boy’s grandmother, Petro Windvogel, 62, sobbing uncontrollably as she pointed to the same spot in the tiny backyard where her grandson died. A piece of the rope and a plastic crate he apparently stood on still lay in the corner on Tuesday afternoon, untouched since police processed the scene.
“We don’t understand why. Only God knows what was in that child’s heart.”
Neighbours who gathered outside the home described Jody as a quiet but cheerful child who was always seen trailing behind his mother or playing with his beloved birds.
“He was such a sweet laaitie,” said next-door neighbour Sharlene Andrews. “Always polite, always smiling. You would never say this child was carrying something so heavy.”
Bullying? Depression? A family desperate for answers
Perhaps the most agonising part for the Windvogel family is that they may never know what drove their little boy to such despair.
“We asked him after the first time why he did it, but he never gave a clear answer,” Judith said. “He never spoke about being bullied at school. He never said anyone was teasing him or hitting him. He was my shadow; if something was wrong, he would have told Mammie.”
Delft North Primary School principal, Mr. Anthony Jacobs, confirmed that Jody was an average but well-behaved learner with no serious disciplinary issues on record.
“We are shocked and deeply saddened,” Mr. Jacobs said in a statement on Tuesday. “Counselling has been made available to learners and staff. At this stage we have no reports of bullying involving Jody, but we are co-operating fully with the police investigation.”
Mental health experts warn that suicidal ideation in children as young as nine is extremely rare but not unheard of, particularly in high-stress, low-income communities where access to psychological support is limited.
Child psychologist Dr. Lauren September, who works in the Cape Flats, said: “Children this young do sometimes attempt suicide, often impulsively. They may not fully understand the permanence of death. Triggers can include family conflict, undiagnosed depression, trauma, or bullying even if the child never verbalises it. The fact that this was a second attempt suggests the child was experiencing significant emotional pain.”
Fake news and vicious online rumours add to family’s pain
In the hours after Jody’s death, social media was flooded with false and malicious rumours, including claims that Judith had left the home to buy alcohol and was not present when the tragedy occurred.
“People who don’t even know us are saying I went to the tavern to buy beer and left my children alone,” an enraged Judith said. “I was at home the whole time. I don’t even drink! These people never set foot in my house. They don’t know how much I loved my son.”
The family has pleaded with the public to stop spreading unverified stories.
“Please let us grieve in peace,” Petro Windvogel begged. “Speculating and lying doesn’t bring Jody back. It only breaks us more.”
Police open inquest docket
Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed that Delft SAPS has opened an inquest docket.
“The circumstances surrounding the death of a nine-year-old boy whose body was discovered on 16 November 2025 at a residence in The Hague Avenue, Delft, are currently under investigation,” Captain Van Wyk said. “No foul play is suspected at this stage, but a post-mortem will be conducted and statements taken to establish the exact circumstances.”
A community in mourning, a call for help
On Tuesday evening, neighbours, fellow parents and church members held a small prayer vigil outside the Windvogel home, singing hymns and lighting candles in Jody’s memory.
As the sun set over the Cape Flats, Judith sat on the same plastic chair where she had dished up countless plates of food for her “shadow,” clutching his tiny school jersey.
“I keep expecting him to run in and say, ‘Mammie, where’s my food?’” she whispered. “But he’s never coming back.”
The family has appealed for assistance with funeral costs. Anyone wishing to help can contact the family through Delft North Primary School or the local ward councillor.
Rest in peace, little Jody. The Hague will never forget you.
