NARRATIVES The Story of Linda and Peter Biehl: Private Loss and Public Forgiveness Representing our daughter, Amy, we participated and gave testimony at the amnesty hearing for the four young men who murdered her. Recognizing the role of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa's healing process, we did not oppose the Amnesty Committee's decision to grant them their freedom. YJe believe, as did our daughter, in the importance of democratic elec- tions in South Africa. The amnesty hearings were hut one condition in making them a reality. V^e grieve our loss, yet forgiveness has freed us. We can honor our daughter, we can remain true to her convictions, and we can carry on her work. Our narrative describes and explains our experience, the media and others' response to our decisions, and the meaning this has had to us and the members of our family: Kim, 31; Molly, 27; and Zach, 20. by Prologue search each event for the ironies, Peter and Linda Biehl but the fax arrived from Cape e had expected the letter. Town on April 22nd: one day af- Peter and Linda Biehl, WErom the day Amy's kill- ter Linda's birthday and four the Amy Biehl Foundation. ers were sentenced to eighteen days before what might have years in prison for murder and been Amy's thirtieth. But irony public violence, we had known was quickly lost in the plain real- amnesty applications were ity of the words. Below is the let- probable. ter-fax from the Amnesty Com- Still, the timing of the let- mittee of South Africa's truth and ter was interesting. Perhaps we Reconciliation Commission. Tel:(0Z1 ) 24 5161 Fa>:(021 > 23 32BO AHIHiSTYCOHimiTTU o PO Box 3162 Dear Mr and Mrs P. Biehl Cape Town o The Amnesty Committee of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has received an application for amnesty from Mongesi Manquina in respect of the o murder of your daughter, Amy BiehL o The hearing will commence in the week of 19 May 1997 to 25 May 1997 in Cape Town. We are hereby informing of such dates to enable us to o accommodate you should you wish to attend the hearing. Kindly advise us urgently as to a date suitable to youselves within the aforementioned week to o facilitate the necessary arrangements. o You shall be formally notiñed once we have heard from you by retum facsimile. o We look forward to hearing from you. o With our kind wishes hereby extended. o Yours sincerely, o ROBIN BRINK EVIDENCE LEADER REFLECTIONS: FALL 1998 11 PRIVATE LOSS AND PUBLIC FORGIVENESS NARRATIVES We knew Manquina's rected crimes was essential to ews of the hearing sched- application would be joined by the pro-apartheid regime before Nule spread quickly. So did the other three. That was a fore- it could open the ballot boxes to our indication to the Amnesty gone conclusion. But the others the certainty of Black majority Committee that we would not had until May 10,1997, in which rule. retain legal counsel or oppose to apply. That was the official Amy had said that Nel- amnesty, if granted. cut-off date for amnesty appli- son Mandela and his African Media representatives cations. National Congress (ANC) col- from South Africa and through- We were advised by John leagues had refused to accept a out the United States began tele- Allen of Archbishop Tutu's of- blanket amnesty provision and phoning us with their inevitable fice that the four applicants had compromised on case-by- inquiries. On a small scale, it would present themselves in a case amnesty, earned on the was reminiscent of the media single hearing. Given the imme- merits of the evidence present- blitz in the early hours and days diate proximity of the proposed ed, against a rigorous standard following Amy's death. May 19th hearing week, counsel for proof. Always, the questions: for the applicants could easily "... but, aren't you angry?" or appear and request a post- "... you mean you are pre- ponement to provide ade- pared to forgive your quate preparation time. We daughter's killers?" It re- could make a very long and minded Linda of the days in expensive trip for nothing. 1993 when producers from This seemed unreasonable the television tabloid news and unfair. "magazines" and popular Upon consideration of "talk" shows would tele- our request that the hearing phone her looking for an in- be re-scheduled to coincide dication that she might like with our planned visit to Cape to appear on camera and get Town in late June and July, the "mad." Linda was always so Amnesty Committee agreed to Given this background calm, rational, and unsensa- re-set the hearing for July 8-9, insight and Amy's passionate tional that the producers or 1997. We were thankful to be efforts to gain free and demo- "talent" people never called spared the expense and proba- cratic elections for all South Af- back. ble frustration of an early trip ricans, we could not ignore the Once again, we succeed- and were grateful for some ad- Amnesty Committee process. ed in boring the reporters with ditional time in which to pre- Our failure to appear and par- our peaceful resolve in our de- pare our statement for the hear- ticipate in the hearing could be cision not to oppose the amnes- ing. interpreted as displaying a lack ty applications from Amy's kill- There was no question of of respect for a healing process, ers. Generally, the reporters our participation in the hearing. honorably negotiated and now were not equipped with back- Amy had informed us four years publicly and unequivocally grounds which would enable earlier that the Truth and Rec- championed by President them to understand our posi- onciliation process was a key Mandella, Archbishop Tutu and tion. So they covered the story pre-negotiated condition upon other respected South Africans. and went on to the next one. which free elections for all South We knew we must partic- The Houston Chronicle, Africans could be granted by the ipate in the process and, believ- however, sent South African re- National Party—in power at the ing in it, that we could not op- porter Tony Freemantle, who time. More importantly, a pro- pose amnesty if it were granted had written an award-winning cedure for granting of amnesty on the merits. We were certain feature piece on truth commis- in forgiveness of politically di- Amy would concur. sions in 1996. Tony spent an 12 REFLECTIONS: FALL 1998 PRIVATE LOSS AND PUBLIC FORGIVENESS NARRATIVES entire day with us in our home. We kept telling ourselves Amy had prepared us for He understood our attitude and that we would prepare a writ- this. On the subject of black vi- the basis for it-although he con- ten statement for presentation at olence against White South Af- ceded that he might not be ca- the amnesty hearing. We want- ricans, Amy repeatedly admon- pable of it, himself. His front- ed to be certain of our word ished us to remember that the page piece for the Chronicle ran choice. Every word must be just frustrated and angry Black on Sunday, May 11th—one day right. youth "... are only doing what after the cut-off date for amnes- Former Ambassador, Princeton has been done to them by gen- ty applications to South Africa's Lyman, who had officially in- erations of white oppressors." Truth and Reconciliation Com- formed Linda of Amy's death Moreover, Amy's admo- mission. It was also Mother's from Pretoria in 1993, volun- nition that ".. .when Black South Day (irony again), but Linda teered to review and comment Africans die in the struggle, only didn't seem to notice. on our prepared statement be- numbers are reported—but Freemantle's piece was fore our departure. He never when white people die, they get informed and insightful. People had the opportunity to be of ser- complete obituaries with names, told us they found it helpful in vice. families, pets, and everything," understanding our position be- When we boarded our was ringing in our ears. cause it was placed in a well-re- flight on June 26, we had no Her dismay at this indig- searched context. This is testi- written statement. nity had been prophetic in the mony to the utility of good jour- case of her own death in South nalism. e knew our feelings— Africa's struggle. We knew how W what was in our hearts Amy would feel about the me- ur preparation for Cape and in our heads. dia blitz which had followed her O Town really centered In so many ways, we had death. After all, she had confid- around our desire to arrange a been prepared for this event. ed to friends that—in the event meaningful experience for the For years, we had taken our kids of her death—she wanted the Kendall family of St. Louis, who to Sunday school. For years, we same impersonal press treat- would be traveling with us for had taught Sunday school class- ment accorded her Black col- the first ten days of the trip. The es in Christian ethics. Standing leagues in the struggle. Kendalls have become very im- at the kitchen telephone, mo- So... prepared by our portant in the educational out- ments after learning of Amy's own personal background expe- reach activities of the Amy death, Linda recalls fielding a riences and by our daughter's Biehl Foundation in the United constant stream of telephone words in the years and days be- States and—on their first visit to calls and visitors thinking the fore her death, there were never South Africa—we wanted them words, "Father, forgive them, any questions about our posi- to experience vividly the joys for they know not what they tion.