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A Mpumalanga man says police told him to find his attackers himself before they could make arrests.
Picture: iStock
Mpumalanga police have been accused of instructing a crime victim to investigate his own case and report back to them so that they could arrest the suspects.
Diphapang Mahata, from Trichardt near Secunda, said a few weeks ago three people broke into his house and he was hit with a sharp object on the head during the incident.
He was taken to hospital and opened a case at Trichardt police station. But police apparently told him they could only make an arrest when Mahata had managed to trace his attackers.
Police tell victim to track his own attackers
“They gave me a case number, but I was shocked when I received a call from a police officer who told me if I don’t know the people who attacked me, how do I expect the police would know,” he said.
“The officer said I must go to drinking spots and other busy areas and listen to what people are talking about.
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“She said if I keep on doing that, I would be able to find out who attacked me. Then, as soon as I know, I should call the police.”
Mahata said a few days later, he received a call from police who said they had arrested a suspect.
But he couldn’t go to the police station immediately as he was at work. When he later managed to go to the police station, he was told the suspect had been released as he was arrested a day before.
Suspect released but victim never heard from police
“Since then, I never heard from the police. I suspect they heard I was talking with political parties and other people to report the bad treatment that I received from the police,” he said.
Mahata said he was seeking legal advice and also planning to approach the station commander to report the way his case has been handled.
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“When these police officers deal with people from an indigent background or poor townships or farms, they don’t care and are not willing to assist,” he claimed.
“That police officer talked to me like I was a child who did not even know what I was doing. And the fact that I was called just a few hours before releasing the suspect, while they arrested him a day before, also tells me something else. They said that if I didn’t come immediately, they would release him.”
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Jabu Ndubane said the records showed the case had been withdrawn, but she did not give further details.
Police claimed he withdrew it
When contacted again, Mahata denied he withdrew the case.
“This is the act of corruption. If I had withdrawn the case, why did I contact the media and political parties for assistance?”
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