A police constable and his ex-girlfriend died following a shooting in Imbali in Pietermaritzburg on Monday evening, while her current boyfriend died in hospital.

A lack of sufficient psychological support for the stress and trauma police officers face on the job has been brought to the fore again after a constable stationed at Plessislaer Police Station allegedly shot his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend, before turning the gun on himself.

According to KZN violence monitor Mary de Haas, a lack of support can be seen as a contributing factor to police officers being violent in their homes and towards their partners

In the latest incident, the constable and his ex-girlfriend, believed to be a teacher, died at the scene, at her home in Unit J in Imbali on Monday, and her boyfriend died later in hospital.

“The police officer [allegedly] shot himself in the head and was found in the lounge, while the ex-girlfriend was found in the bathroom, naked and bleeding from the head and was declared dead at the scene,” said a source close to the case.

“The boyfriend was found lying [nearby] with a gunshot wound, but was still breathing and was rushed to hospital where he later died,” the source added.

Read the full article in The Witness.