Officer’s rape case postponed

THE case against a police officer accused of raping a 29-year-old suspected shoplifter has been postponed to December 23 for a bail application.

The officer from Nyanga police station made his first appearance at the Wynberg Magistrates Court yesterday, after he was arrested on Sunday.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila, said the officer was charged with pointing a firearm, rape, theft, assault, sexual assault and kidnapping. Ntabazalila said the State would oppose bail.

His arrest followed an Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) investigation into allegations that the constable had raped the man in a police van. Soon after the news surfaced, police spokesperson Novela Potelwa said the police officer was suspended. Provincial police commissioner Thembisile Patekile said incidents like these impacted negatively on the relationship between police and communities.

Ipid spokesperson Grace Langa said the victim was at the Jet store at Junction Mall where security suspected that he wanted to steal clothing.

Langa said the police were called. On arrival they handcuffed and assaulted the man, put him in the back of the police van and transported him to the Browns Farm satellite office, where the police passengers alighted and the driver drove with the suspect to Nyanga police station.

Langa said the driver picked up a woman officer and dropped her off at Crossroads, then drove with the victim to bushes near the airport where he stopped and opened the door, telling the victim to kneel while still in the police vehicle handcuffed from the back.

She said he allegedly put a gun to the victim’s stomach, pulled down his pants and started fondling his private parts while playing a porn video from the phone and telling him to watch.

“He then turned him around and penetrated the victim. When he was done, he drove with him to his address in Khayelitsha, where he removed his police uniform and later took the victim home to Gugulethu,” said Langa.

Parliament’s portfolio committee on police chairperson, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, said the suspect must be prosecuted to set an example to other police officers inclined to perpetrate such heinous acts.

Anyone with information can contact Crime Stop anonymously at 08600 10111 or via the MySAPSApp.