By Olebogeng Molale
A 35-year-old man who claims to have been assaulted by an off-duty police officer in Galeshewe in February this year has accused the South African Police Service of protecting the suspect in this case. The victim, who wants to remain nameless for fear of victimization, says since opening the case at the Galeshewe police station, he has not received any communication from the investigating officer.
The man says he had tried on several occasions to obtain feedback concerning the case as the suspect remains free. He alleges that the investigating officer has since shown no interest in updating him about the matter.
“I have tried several times to get clarity on why the suspect is still outside after stabbing me multiple times, and I wonder what would have happened had I died. Seeing this man every day reminds me of that terrible ordeal. I am pleading with the South African Police to stop defending him because he is a police officer. We are all equal in the eyes of the law. They have no right to abuse their authority and resources to cover up this mess,” lamented the victim.
The victim’s mother, who corroborated the story said, “a police officer assaulted my son in February and he almost died, but the police are not doing their work so that this case can go to court. We even approached the station commander, but that also did not help because we are still waiting to receive an update on the case.”
She added that they are contemplating approaching the Office of the Public Protector to intervene.
The police have rubbished claims that they are protecting the suspect. Police spokesperson Bashoabile Kale, says the matter has already been investigated and the docket is with the Directorate of Public Prosecutions for a decision.
“Just because the suspect is a police officer, they expect him to be treated differently by the courts but that is not how it works. The law stipulates that all people should be treated fairly, and everyone is innocent unless proven otherwise by the court of law. The docket has been sent to the DPP (Directorate of Public Prosecutions) for a decision and we await the outcome if they will prosecute or not,” explained the Spokesperson.
Kale added that the investigator would not be removed from the case as she had done nothing untoward. He highlighted that they have never received a formal complaint about the case or the investigating officer.
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