A MEREBANK woman says she was assaulted by police officers inside Wentworth Police Station after she tried to open a theft case — a shocking ordeal she claims left her battered and questioning the integrity of those sworn to protect the public.

Premilla Deonath alleges she was attacked by officers after recording them when they allegedly refused to take her statement. She claims to have sustained bruises to her body during the altercation.

“I sustained injuries on my arms, back and face. Emotionally, this incident left me traumatised and deeply disappointed in the system meant to protect us. Physically, I’ve experienced excruciating pain and bruising requiring medical attention. I already had a broken hand with plates and screws which they twisted and shook. It’s disturbing to face violence from those sworn to serve,” said Deonath.

Deonath has since lodged a formal complaint with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), calling for accountability for the officers allegedly involved in the assault.

The alleged incident occurred on October 16 while she was at the Wentworth Police Station to report the theft of seven palm trees stolen near the Navy car wash area on Himalayas Road.

Also read: Man arrested for opening false police case

According to Deonath, the trees were purchased by the Merewest Community Foundation (MCF) to beautify the area.

“We had adopted three spots which we cleaned, maintained, and planted trees and plants in. We needed a report number to view nearby camera footage. The police refused to open a case, citing lack of evidence and suggesting the matter wasn’t serious enough since we couldn’t identify any suspects,” she said.

Deonath said the officer assigned to take her statement appeared dismissive and told her the theft was not a priority matter.

“They asked if we had suspects. When we said no, they implied we were wasting their time and should go home and think about it again,” she said.

She added that her husband began recording after fearing for her safety as officers allegedly shouted, threatened, and tried to prevent them from filming, citing the Protection of Personal Information Act.

Also read: Police warn communities against opening fake cases

“Other police officers were present but didn’t intervene. They all shouted at me. The station commander, Colonel Sinayo Mtshali, was ineffective in addressing the situation. She said the officers had left the station and weren’t taking her calls,” Deonath said.

Wentworth police spokesperson dismissed the allegations

When contacted by the SUN on October 16, Wentworth police spokesperson Captain Mbuso Gumede dismissed the allegations.

“There was no such incident. The station commander and I have dealt with the issue. The complainant was helped to open a case of theft of palm trees. No assault or intimidation occurred,” said Gumede.

Spokesperson for the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, Phaladi Shuping, said a case of assault was opened.

“The case was reported to IPID by the [victim] and IPID has requested a docket from Brighton Beach police station for further investigations,” said Shuping.

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