Following complaints that Honeydew Police Station members allegedly ignored a victim of gender-based violence while attempting to open a case, the matter has since been prioritised.
Spokesperson for the station, Captain Balan Muthan, indicated that they managed to identify the officers in question, especially the one implicated in the matter.
The female victim, whom the Northsider won’t name at this stage, claimed she was sent from pillar to post when she attempted to open a case against the father of her son, who happens to be an officer at the station.
The implicated officer allegedly took his son away from the mother without consent and intimidated her.
It was previously alleged that she was turned away because the officer who attended to her said it was a family matter.
However, Muthan, who dispelled the scourge in the fraternity, told Northsider that an intense investigation would be conducted to deal with the matter. “We know who the member is and we also know the member who allegedly refused to help the victim,” he explained.
Muthan also noted that the member denied refusing to help the complainant, but claimed she was trying to mediate in the matter.
Muthan also highlighted that a meeting is to be convened involving the member as part of the investigation.
DA Shadow MMC for Community Development, councillor Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku was still dissatisfied with the effort made by the police.
“It is completely unacceptable that when a victim with an interim protection order comes to the police station to open a case, but because the alleged perpetrator who violated the protection order is a SAPS member, a female police officer only proceeds with opening a case after calling the alleged perpetrator to come to the police station,” she said.
“If the alleged perpetrator was not a member of the SAPS would he/ she have been given the courtesy to be informed about the complaint before the case was opened?” she asked.
“The police is supposed to serve and protect, and treat every victim with fairness, dignity and respect. This is one of the reasons why femicide cases are unacceptably high in South Africa. How many women must lose their lives before they are taken seriously by the police?” she further questioned.
This is a developing story.
