sed Lara to leave South Africa.
when
stockings over their heads turned in front of me and forced me to
s
HE'S probably fl hting for a lost cause ut it's one born of lov - the unlikely love of a white South African woman who I ft the country because of cri ,and ended up falling in love ith a b ~: American murdere . 'I he warrior is Lara J activist, champion of the sed and eternal optimist In Sacramento, Califo woman with the Africa smiles when she describ self as the "farm girl" fro. rust before talking ab battle she's waging for band's freedom, She's m Demian Johnson (34), a rican who's already sp years in jail for murder. Ever since she marrie year ago, she's been ca ing for his release. Altho gained widespread sup his parole application. turned down last month.
plaits s herVolksut the r husried to Ament 15 him a paigngh she art for it was
scratch. Volksrust's Lara is alking about a hunger strike on the f\lowofthe "farm girl" le is[tarting steps Sacramento's islative building. HER parents Clive an Anne Johnstone still live on t e farm Gerizim where Lara g ew up and first came into cant ct with convicts. Little did sh know then the role they woul to play in her life.
come
hired convicts to work on the "I remember dadt always farm," she says. "Imy used chat to them."
1
- was later released a d now One of also a ~urderer works forthem her - parents on the
,,~ I
L.:lght years ago a tf:lumatic experience in JOhannestiJrg cau1 58
"I was on my way home late at night three armed men with
YOU ,4
stop. I put my car into reverse and hooted. At the same time a taxi stopped at the scene and the men jumped into their car and drove off. "I got home safely but was in shock. When my car was broken into that night I decided I'd had enough. " She set off into the big wide world after joining up as a deckhand on a ship in Durban and eventually landed up in London. From there she went to America - a decision' which was to have a radical effect on her life. ONE night in Washington she was. surfing the Internet on her computer when she came across news of the terrible attack on Rob Kaplan in his Johannesburg home, which YOU reported on at the time. "It was so shocking I asked myself: What can I do so far from home to make a positive contribution to fighting the increasing crime in South Africa? I was particularly worried about my parents on the farm. "You can catch criminals and lock them up, build more prisons and lock up thousands more, but there has to be another solution. "I researched all sources on the Internet, especially other solutions that have achieved something. I decided I also had to talk MAIN PICTURE: Lara Johnson on the steps of California's legislative building where she plans to go on hunger strike. FAR RIGHT: Demian and Lara on their wedding day in Sacramenta prison. RIGHT: Lam during
a recent demonstration
by women in Sacramenta. With her is Martine Walker, a German woman a/so married to an
American in prison.
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