IN what seems to have been a pre-arranged attack, a local teenager (15) was beaten unconscious after being lured to a “party” in Glen Erasmia on November 21.
Other teenagers stood ready with their cell phones to capture the unprovoked attack on the boy. He was then left unconscious for hours.
When he came to, he asked them what had happened, upon which they told him he had walked into the palisade fence, his mother, Isabella Henderson of Glen Marais, said.
She said still very confused, he asked for directions how to get out of Glen Erasmia. Walking to his Mona Street home, he texted his mother, adding a sad face to the message. She immediately called him back to find out what had happened.
Henderson called a friend to take her son to Arwyp where he spent the whole weekend in ICU, semi-conscious. A brain scan was done and he was released on the Monday.
Although a case of assault was opened at Kempton Park Police Station, Henderson hit a brick wall as far as the investigation is concerned. On her own she obtained video footage of the attack through her son’s girl friend. She also managed to identify some of the teenage boys involved in the attack on her son.
Henderson said at the time of the attack she was in Durban for work. Her son was invited to the “party” by a grade 9 boy who lives in Glen Erasmia Estate. Her son went to primary school with the boy.
About seven or eight boys from different Kempton Park high schools were apparently involved in the attack where the victim was beaten with a stick and baton.
Henderson said her stepsister took the medical form from the hospital to the police station. According to her they took no details of the two boys involved in the assault or the girl who sent out the videos.
“The first police officer I saw about the case, Const Senyolo, showed no interest at all. I had to go home, put the videos I found by myself on CD and took it back to the station. He said he did not have time to get the details about one of the suspects from his school and I had to do it.
“When I went back with the CD, he had already left for the day and I handed it to his commanding officer. I told her the school was prepared to help but they could only give the details to the police.
“Later a Detective Tshabalala asked me to come and see him to explain what had happened. I was quite hopeful. However, he asked why I did not go to the home where the assault took place and sorted out the problem myself. Then it would not have been necessary for the police to get involved.
“I told him it was evident they were just waiting for my son to arrive. He was attacked as he walked in, still with his bag on his back, while others were waiting with their cameras to film the event. The police should do something to prevent future attacks on innocent children.
“I gave him the teenagers’ names and the name of the school, upon which he said he did not have the time to go the school to get the information.”
He told her: “I will go to your house when I get time and then your son can show me where it happened.”
“I wanted to give him my address but he said it should be on file.”
Henderson is convinced this was not the first time it had happened. “For the teens to take videos and be so calm about it, shows it was not their first time,” she said.
“As far as I know, my son was their fifth victim. One of the boys involved had already been expelled from school for breaking another boy’s jaw.”
Only now, after about two weeks, the police took statements from her son, who turned 16 on November 27. Henderson said one of the teens involved apparently agreed to work with the police and had admitted the attack had been planned.
According to Kempton Park SAPS spokesman, Capt Jethro Mtshali, the mother of the alleged victim is constantly communicating with the investigating officer.
“We request her to be patient and work with the police and not against them. All information obtained is being investigated. We do not want to further discuss this matter in the media as that might jeopardise our investigation.”
The video below was compiled from three separate cell phone videos
