Cop arrested for assault of hubby

NHLANGANO – A female police officer, stationed at the Shiselweni Regional Police Headquarters, was arrested and charged for contravening the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act, after she allegedly physically assaulted her husband.

The officer is alleged to have assaulted *Musa on Sunday. Musa is employed at the Ministry of Public Works and Transport under the Central Transport Administration (CTA), in the Shiselweni Region.

According to the charge sheet, the officer used open hands, a pot and further scratched him all over the body.

The officer appeared in court for the assault case. She also appeared in a different court for peace binding after her husband’s family was in court following previous allegations that the officer usually assaulted Musa.

There were about 17 members of Musa’s family who were in court to follow the proceedings of the peace binding order. While the case was ongoing, Musa’s father fainted in court and had to be rushed out to get some fresh air. During the peace binding hearing, the family revealed that they did not consent to the marriage as such they did not even know where officer was from. They alleged that the duo got married at the District Commissioner’s (DC) Offices and they were only told about the marriage later.

They requested the court to issue a restraining order against the officer not to assault Musa ever again. It was said in court that the fights began after the duo imbibed alcohol and the court suggested that they should not go to drinking spots until the matter was resolved. “If it was for me, you would go to church wherein you would sign a register every day clocking in and out just to be sure you attended,” said Magistrate Magagula.

Musa’s family also requested the court to compel him to go home for a meeting so they could discuss matters surrounding his alleged abuse and he agreed to attend.

The magistrate told Musa’s family that the couple needed counselling. He suggested that it would be wrong to take one party for counselling. He said they were supposed to fix both their son and the wife for peace’s sake.

For the criminal matter reported on Sunday, the court ruled that the duo was supposed to stay separately until the matter was concluded. Trial date was set for March 13, 2023.