From Admiration to Anger: Reactions to the Amy Biehl Amnesty Decision

Two of the most widely-read popular accounts of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) are Desmond Tutu’s No Future Without Forgiveness (1999) and Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela’s A Human Being Died That Night (2003). In their books, both Archbishop Tutu and Dr. Gobodo-Madikizela use the Amy Biehl amnesty case to illustrate the positive impact of the truth commission, because the perpetrators (Biehl’s killers) expressed remorse and the victim’s parents (Linda and Peter Biehl) offered forgiveness, thus laying the foundation for racial reconciliation in South Africa. An examination of the evidence, however, suggests a more complex reality. Some South Africans welcomed the amnesty granted to Biehl’s killers, while others expressed deep dismay. Because public opinion was so divided on the amnesty decision, the Biehl amnesty case symbolizes the mixed legacy of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, rather than its purely positive contribution. This article begins with a brief description of Amy Biehl, the white American Fulbright scholar killed in South Africa’s racial violence in 1993. After reviewing the circumstances surrounding her death, the article summarizes the truth commission’s hearings concerning her murder and the ultimate decision to grant amnesty to four of her attackers. Next the article discusses how Desmond Tutu and Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela–two key members of the commission–have used the Amy Biehl amnesty decision to highlight the success of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Then the article offers a detailed look at how South African citizens reacted to the amnesty decision, based on letters, articles, and columns from the South African press. The article concludes by discussing how the Amy Biehl amnesty case reflected the continued divisions in South African society, despite its use as a symbol for healing.