On October 26, Bruno Pelizzari and Debbie Calitz, a Durban couple, arrived in the Netherlands and the International Criminal Court to face the five attackers who took them hostage two years ago. The couple and their skipper Peter Eldridge were floating off the coast of Kenya en route to Richards Bay, when twelve Somali pirates boarded their yacht. They pointed AK-47 rifles and rocket-propelled grenades at them. The couple and skipper were then taken and anchored at an island with the captors. After two weeks, the French Floreal spotted the yacht and opened fire on it. Most of the pirates escaped and tried to take the trio with them, but Eldridge refused to leave his ship and was rescued. Pelizzari and Calitz were only beginning their twenty month ordeal with the pirates, however. The couple was eventually rescued, and they are eager to begin the trial process. Pelizzari admits he is a bit nervous about testifying, and Calitz does not know how she will feel being in the same room as her captors, but both are ready to close the chapter in their lives. As the trial in the international Criminal Court is set to begin in days, Eldridge hopes he can meet the couple to catch up with them. He will not be able to stay for a long amount of time however, as he just found out he has a brain tumor and is planning to seek medical attention at home in South Africa. One can see the global nature of this horrific event as a Durban couple was held hostage by Somali pirates off of the coast of Kenya. This is not just a regional concern, but rather a global one.
This article seemed to highlight the experience of Peter Eldridge, rather than the couple. His story was fascinating to read, but the article was supposed to be discussing the upcoming trial of the pirates who captured the trio and held the couple hostage for twenty months. For this reason, I feel that the article should have gone into further detail concerning the couple’s ordeal and discussed what they had to endure. This would have made the article more personal and brought the reader in further. Overall however, it was very interesting and presented a horrifying story in a very appropriate way.
10/26/12 10:02 AM
http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/hostage-couple-to-face-somali-pirates-1.1412008#.UIqQo3HSFdc
1 comment:
I'm surprised that piracy had such a low profile until 2005. It was mainly confined to the South China Sea, South Asia and a bit in South America and a few other places. Its such a powerful way to make a statement. I'm glad terrorists have largely ignored it.
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