The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has arrested two police officers on allegations of sexual assault and assault in the Eastern Cape.
National IPID spokesperson Robbie Raburabu confirmed the arrests of a 41-year-old constable and a 42-year-old sergeant, both from the Kamesh Visible Policing Unit. The arrests were made on Thursday morning by IPID investigators.
The accused officers are alleged to have committed the crimes against a 37-year-old man on July 10, 2022, in Kariega, previously known as Uitenhage.
According to Raburabu, preliminary reports suggest that the victim was on his way home from a friend’s house when he was picked up by the police officers.
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“They allegedly inserted an object in his anus several times and assaulted him, while pepper spraying him,” Raburabu disclosed.
Further accusations state that the officers drove aimlessly with the victim, subjecting him to continuous abuse during the journey.
“They just drove around with him (the victim) and allegedly kept on stopping (their car) and assaulting him until they got tired and dropped him in the middle of nowhere, where he struggled to find his way home,” Raburabu added.
Both police officers will remain in custody and are expected to appear in the Kariega Magistrate’s Court on Friday to face the charges.
In a separate incident, eight members of VIP Protection Services, who were arrested for assaulting motorists on a public highway, are currently applying for bail in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court.
Video footage of the assault went viral on social media, leading to public outrage.
The VIP presidential protection services officers face charges of assault, malicious damage to property, and pointing of a firearm. Following their arrests, they have been suspended from the South African Police Service (SAPS).
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