Stop opening cases then withdrawing them, cops say
Victims would often deliberately give wrong addresses or the wrong cellphone numbers of the people who perpetrated crimes against them.
Rietgat police have appealed to the community to stop opening cases and later withdrawing them for either monetary gain or following a personal agreement between a victim and the perpetrator.
“Community members especially partners, friends or people who are related in one way or another have normalised withdrawing domestic violence-related cases after only a few days – if not hours,” said police spokesperson Captain Stephen Maluleka.
“Often, our station has dealt with domestic violence cases in which victims would protect perpetrators from getting arrested. In some instances, victims would even hide their perpetrators from the police.”
Victims would often deliberately give wrong addresses or the wrong cellphone numbers of the people who perpetrated crimes against them.
“Harbouring or hiding suspects defeats the ends of justice and obstructing justice in itself is an offence.”
Maluleka said the community should refrain from rushing to impulsively open cases if they are emotionally unsure or have not thought out what will happen after opening the case against partners, friends or acquaintances.
“The public should always remember that a lot of effort goes into opening a case: from the first call to the 10111 call centre; to the community service centre; to the vehicle on patrol; to the house where there is a domestic incident and back to the station for processing; the detectives for investigation; and the magistrate’s court for prosecution.
ALSO READ: Valentine’s Day Festivities within your reach with THERON`S MEAT PRODUCTS
“That life cycle of a case docket involves the state’s money, human resources and time. So think twice before opening a case or calling the police.”
Maluleka, however, said the police would like the community to “genuinely do the right thing”.
“We promise to do our best in ensuring perpetrators are brought to book.”
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
