- Two former police officers were found guilty of the 2020 killing of 16-year-old Nathaniel Julies in Eldorado Park
- Julies, a teenager living with Down syndrome, was shot by police officers while walking to a nearby tuck shop
- Three police officers were initially arrested for the crime, but only two were convicted on 23 October 2026
Source: Twitter
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has spent a decade reporting on South Africa's political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online journalism.
GAUTENG — Two former South African Police Service officers have been convicted of the murder of 16-year-old Nathaniel Julies, who was fatally shot in Eldorado Park on 26 August 2020.
Former Constable Caylene Whiteboy and former senior public order police officer Simon "Scorpion" Ndyalvane were found guilty of murder as well as defeating or obstructing the ends of justice. A third accused, Detective Vorster Netshiongolo, was acquitted of the charges of accessory after the fact to murder and defeating or obstructing the ends of justice.
What happened to Nathaniel Julies?
Nathaniel, a teenager who lived with Down syndrome and was non-verbal, had left his home to buy biscuits at a nearby tuck shop when he encountered officers on patrol in the area.
Unable to respond to their questions due to his condition, he was shot with a pump-action shotgun at close range. Witnesses reported that the force of the shot sent him beneath a parked vehicle.
Officers subsequently pulled his body from under the truck and transported him by police van to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) arrested all three officers following the incident. Ndyalvane faced charges including premeditated murder, discharging a firearm in a public place, possession of prohibited ammunition, and defeating the ends of justice.
Whiteboy was charged with premeditated murder, discharging a firearm in a public place, and possessing prohibited ammunition, while Netshiongolo was accused of acting as an accessory after the fact and helping conceal evidence at the scene.
The case drew widespread public outrage and renewed debate about police conduct and accountability in South Africa.
Source: Getty Images
Other Briefly News stories about Julies
- A police officer said that a cover-up scheme was devised soon after the teenager's passing in 2020.
- The court heard that the autopsy on Julies revealed that he had 189 shotgun pellets in his body.
- The City of Johannesburg proposed that Nikkel Crescent in Eldorado Park be renamed Nathaniel Julies Crescent.
Source: Briefly News
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