SIX 16-year-old boys who were allegedly kidnapped in Sebokeng and held in an open field on Pretoria Road close to Birchleigh Railway Station, are believed to have been taken with their parents’ permission.
The boys who were said to have been assaulted were rescued on Friday afternoon around 2pm.
According to provincial police spokesperson, Capt Tsekiso Mofokeng, the incident is linked to an illegal initiation school. Mofokeng said the school has since been closed and destroyed by police.
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“The five arrested suspects were released because they could not be linked to the school and some of them were relatives of the boys,” he added.
“Some of the parents have taken their sons home but others remain in hospital.” All the boys had been circumcised.
Mofokeng said the boys had been kept in the field for three days.
In the past there have been horror stories reported of rituals that take place at initiation schools and boys have also allegedly died while being kept in the mountains and fields on their quest to become “real men”.
Mofokeng could, however, not comment on what exactly took place at illegal initiation schools.
Police are searching for the owner of the school and investigations continue.
• Express want to make it clear the boys were not found at the JJ Maritz quarry, as this property is properly fenced. The open land where they were found belongs to the municipality.
