Traffic cop speaks of ‘assault hell’

AN EASTERN Cape traffic officer who spent weeks in hospital after a nervous breakdown following an alleged sexual assault by her boss has finally broken her silence.

The officer, 33, was allegedly fondled by her station commander in December last year, and sought psychological help over the traumatic experience at the hands of a superior she had regarded as a father.

She was hospitalised for weeks while she received psychiatric treatment.

She continued being treated for months until she was booked off on incapacity leave.

However, it turned out she was never authorised to take the leave, resulting in her not being paid for three months.

It is the second case of sexual harassment in the province reported by a woman law enforcement officer at the hands of a station commander.

The Dispatch reported last month on a woman police officer in Buffalo City Metro who sought psychological help after her boss touched her breasts.

Speaking to the Daily Dispatch recently, the traffic officer said her whole year “has been hell” at work as she had to face her tormentor daily.

She says her boss started treating her unfairly after she opened a case against him.

Police confirmed a case had been opened, but could not provide further details on their investigation.

The officer said her boss was now sidelining her and refusing to send her to work related training programmes.

She said the incident had negatively affected her, both at work and at home.

She said her boss had called her to his office on December 10, closed the door, touched her inappropriately and attempted to kiss her.

She was shocked and ran out of the office. She then sent him a text message telling him that what he tried to do was uncalled for as she had never expected such behaviour from someone she regarded as a father figure.

The commander replied via text to acknowledge what happened, asking for forgiveness and promising it would not happen again.

“He was like a father to me, but now I can’t even look him in the eyes because of what he did to my life. When I am at work, it’s like I am in a prison and have to watch my every move because I know he will jump at every chance to get rid of me because I opened a case against him,” she said.

“The situation is very stressful. I am always in a bad mood, I cry a lot and my sleeping patterns are affected,” she added.

Her distraught father told the Dispatch his daughter’s pain was compounded by the SAPS turning down her request for extended incapacity leave.

“In a shock move they deemed it necessary to regard the leave taken as unpaid leave, resulting in her having to work without salary for three months,” he said.

Numerous attempts to get comment from the station commander have proved fruitless. —