The police allegedly took four learners to the old Ikageng graveyard where they allegedly assaulted them with batons and kicked them in their faces with their boots, on 21 February.
According Col Adéle Myburgh, the NW SAPS spokesperson, a case of assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm was opened after four school pupils were allegedly assaulted by police on 21 February 2019 at about 13:00.
‘The investigation will be carried over to Independent Police Investigation Directorate (IPID) very soon,’ she said.
According to the mother of one of the boys, they were going home from school when three patrol vans picked them up. ‘The police said they were going to punish them because their friend was involved in a fight at one of the schools,’ she said.
She is livid that the police had assaulted them instead of taking them to the police station for questioning, even if they had committed any offence.
‘The boys told me how the police had hidden the vans in the bushes so no one would spot them. They started beating the boys while they were lying on the ground. The police kicked them in the face so they could not identify them,’ said the mother.
The mother of the Gr. 10 learner says she was shocked when she saw the boys limping home at about 15:00.
She is demanding justice for the boys and says the police who committed this offence should be expelled from the force. ‘They broke the same law they are supposed to protect. My son never went to school last week because his uniform is torn to shreds. I’ll have to wait till month end to buy him new school uniform,’ she said.
