98-09-24: you: volksrust farmgirl doomed for love of black convict

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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