98-09-24: you: volksrust farmgirl doomed for love of black convict
DESCRIPTION
98-09-24: YOU: Volksrust Farmgirl Doomed for Love of Black ConvictTRANSCRIPT
1 58 YOU ,4 SE.PTF..M!1E~1>:'9
L.:lght years ago a tf:lumaticexperience in JOhannestiJrg cau-
.; ,.~""r-
sed Lara to leave
South Africa.
"I was on myway home late at night
when three armed men with
stockings over their heads turnedin front of me and forced me to
stop. I put my car into reverseand hooted. At the same time a
taxi stopped at the scene and themen jumped into their car anddrove off.
"I got home safely but was inshock. When my car was brokeninto that night I decided I'd hadenough. "
She set off into the big wideworld after joining up as a deckhand on a ship in Durban andeventually landed up in London.From there she went to America- a decision' which was to have aradical effect on her life.
ONE night in Washington shewas. surfing the Internet on hercomputer when she cameacross news of the terrible at
tack on Rob Kaplan in his Johannesburg home, which YOUreported on at the time.
"It was so shocking I askedmyself: What can I do so far fromhome to make a positive contribution to fighting the increasingcrime in South Africa? I was
particularly worried about myparents on the farm.
"You can catch criminals and
lock them up, build more prisonsand lock up thousands more, butthere has to be another solution.
"I researched all sources on
the Internet, especially other solutions that have achieved some
thing. I decided I also had to talk
MAIN PICTURE: Lara
Johnson on the steps ofCalifornia's legislativebuilding where she plansto go on hunger strike.FAR RIGHT: Demian and
Lara on their weddingday in Sacramenta prison. RIGHT: Lam duringa recent demonstrationby women in Sacramenta. With her is MartineWalker, a German woman a/so married to anAmerican in prison.
him a
paigngh sheart forit was
HE'S probably fl htingfor a lost cause ut it'sone born of lov - the
unlikely love of a white SouthAfrican woman who I ft the
country because of cri ,andended up falling in love ith ab ~: American murdere .
'I he warrior is Lara J
activist, champion of thesed and eternal optimist
In Sacramento, Califowoman with the Africa plaitssmiles when she describ s her
self as the "farm girl" fro. Volksrust before talking ab ut thebattle she's waging for r husband's freedom, She's m ried toDemian Johnson (34), a American who's already sp nt 15years in jail for murder.
Ever since she marrie
year ago, she's been caing for his release. Althogained widespread suphis parole application.turned down last month.
f\low the "farm girl" is[tarting
scratch.
Volksrust's Lara is alkingabout a hunger strike on thesteps of Sacramento's le islativebuilding.
HER parents Clive an AnneJohnstone still live on t e farm
Gerizim where Lara g ew upand first came into cant ct withconvicts. Little did sh know
then the role they woul cometo play in her life.
"I remember my dad1alwayshired convicts to work on the
farm," she says. "I used t chat tothem."
One of them - also a ~urderer- was later released a d now
works for her parents on the,,~I
s
boeremeisie and the killer
YOU 24 SEPTEMBER 1998 159
ters from America, Australia and
England. And there were severaloffers of work for Demian if his
parole application succeeded."Now he has to wait until 2002
to reapply for parole. tJ1eanwhiieLara is talking about a possibleappeal against his original sentence, about greater media andpolitical coverage of the lot of allprisoners and the hunger strike.
"I don't regard Demian as amurderer or criminal. He's simplysomeone who made a big mistake. He's accepted the responsibility and paid his debt."
The day he's a free man shewants to take him back to Volksrust.
"That's where my heart is andwhere we can make a contribu
tion. Oemian has developed agreat love for South Africa andwe want to work together on thefarm for the community." D• Lara has a web site (http://www.amandla.orgl) with information about SACOPS (South AfricanCommunities Organising for PublicSafety) and Demian's OSEPP(Organisation for Sensible an~Effective Prison Policy).
IT was a huge disapPoi~~~when Demian's parole application was turned down lastmonth.
"At his last parole hearing theylaid down conditions: stay out oftrouble, get some kind of training, get a trade. Demian dideverything and more - he stayedout of trouble, worked on his
degree in business administration, learnt a trade and started an
upliftment programme for hisfellow prisoners, especially theyounger ones.
"We received support for hisparole from South Africa;f'frommy parents and residents ofVolksrust. There were also let-
'f.
law's home. Demian was sent
back in his cell. That was a yearago.
EVERY Saturd.ay Lara gets intoher dilapidated bakkie in SanFrancisco and drives an hourand a half to the Sacramento
prison, where she spends a fewhours with her husband under
the watchful eyes of the wardens.
She's excited at the prospectof a possible overnight visit withher husband in a private apartment on the prison premises.
"I'm not looking for sympathy.I walked into this marriage withopen eyes. I knew he was in jail, Iknew about his sentence and his
crime," she says."The fact is I love Demian
Jonnson, even if he has to spendanother 10 or 15 years in jail.
"Meanwhile we'll both conti
nue our work. I'm working in theinterests of the prisoners andtheir families and Oemian is
doing his best for his fellowinmates. That is our contribution
to society."
wife? Will you marry me?' "They were married in prison
on October 11 last year. She methim for the first time in the flesh a
week before the marriage. A daybefore the wedding she movedto San Francisco from Washington, her wedding gown and ringin her suitcase.
Her wedding gown was ivorycoloured with small African motifs. Oemian's mother and someof his relatives attended the
ceremony.After being married by a ma
gistrate, they were allowed tohug and kiss briefly but that wasall. Lara spent the first night ofher married life in her mother-in-
"Although we'd never seen orheld each other, I knew I loved
him. Not so much his person ashis passion, his mind. WhenOemian called one day and asked me to marry him I said yesimmediately.
"I still remember his words,
'Lara, there's something 1want to
get off my chest. Will you be my
murder of a taxi driver. He didn't
pull the trigger but the fire:mnbelonged to him. He got a 15year to life sentence.
Lara and Demian were soon
phoning each other andexchanging pictures. Lard wa..c;
in a relationship with a policecaptain in Washington but soonDemian, thousands of kilometres
away on the other side of America, was more than a friend. She
split up with the policeman."You could call it an internet
relationship," she says. "Demianand I soon realised we were
meant for each other. I got toknow the man behind the pictures well - we were in love.
·/.~"
F'"
I')'~~~;~ers - why theIcommit-r&d the crime, what we t wrong. Iwanted insight into th criminalmind.
"That's how I he
- .')emian and we startponding,"
Demian spoke can,honestly about the i
raised. "I immediatelf got theimpression he was ex~eptionallyintelligent."
It was only later Lar discovered tt.e man with who! she hadan immediate rapp was a
black American w o'd beenconvicted of m rder. He
was found guil in 1993of the secon degree
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