St Stithians breaks silence on teens’ deaths

Johannesburg private school St Stithians has broken its silence on its handling of the deaths of teenagers Cameron Waldeck-Cooks and Ethan Coetzee, saying it will not contribute to speculation surrounding an ongoing investigation.

In a carefully worded response to the Sunday Times, the school said it had focused on supporting grieving families , pupils and staff while respecting the families’ privacy.

TimesLIVE reported earlier this month that police are investigating a case of murder after preliminary postmortem results showed signs of strangulation in the case of St Stithians schoolgirl Waldeck-Cooks.

The 17-year old was found dead at a guest lodge in Sabie, Mpumalanga, by a cleaner. She was in the same room as her boyfriend, Coetzee, who was also found unresponsive.

Police said: “According to preliminary findings, the 17-year-old female may have been strangled, while the 19-year-old male may have taken his own life.”

It is suspected he may have taken a drug overdose but this has not been verified.

The investigation, including further forensic processes, is continuing as authorities work to establish the full circumstances.

Waldeck-Cooks was a grade 11 pupil at St Stithians Girls’ College and Coetzee matriculated from St Stithians Boys’ College in 2025.

The statement from the school comes amid difficult questions about the school’s glowing tributes to Coetzee posted on its social-media platforms — and growing public scrutiny of what happened between the two teenagers.

A statement circulated widely on X and attributed to a profile purportedly belonging to Cameron’s brother, Ethan Waldeck-Cooks, offered a searing account of the tragedy and criticised reports portraying Cameron and Coetzee together. Its authorship has not been independently established .

The school said it was “aware of the difficult conversations this tragedy has prompted”, but would not comment on speculation while the investigation continues.

“We remain focused on supporting those most affected and caring for our community as it continues to navigate this profound loss,” it said.

St Stithians also said its commitment to supporting students and staff would continue “in the weeks ahead”, praising the compassion shown by its school community since the tragedy.

Cameron’s parents, Derrick Cooks and Claire Waldeck-Cooks, previously stated that she was on a hiking trip in the Sabie district in Mpumalanga with two families on the weekend she died.