Friday, January 30, 2009

Kenton Officer Arrested for Rape still on Duty

MORE allegations of police brutality in Kenton-on-Sea are being investigated after a woman was allegedly raped at the police station and two other people were allegedly assaulted.

The police officer suspected of rape was arrested on Monday and appeared briefly in the Alexandria Magistrate’s Court before being released on R500 bail.

He was, however, back on duty this week pending a police decision on whether or not to suspend him.

The latest allegations come about two weeks after an alleged late night attack on 25-year- old Vusi Mbabela.

He was taken to hospital under a false name and treated for a broken rib and other injuries.

Ekuphumleni community leader Zache Ngxingo yesterday said emotions were running high after the 24-year-old woman had been arrested for being drunk and disorderly and then allegedly raped by the policeman in the victim empowerment room at the local police station.

The rape allegedly took place two days after 500 people had protested Mbabela’s beating.

They handed over a memorandum calling for an investigation into alleged police brutality .

“The young woman was at home with her parents and was a bit drunk and shouting at them when they decided to call the police to take her away so she could cool off.”

He said after the alleged rape, the policeman told her not to tell anybody before releasing her.

Police spokesperson Captain Mali Govender yesterday confirmed a policeman had been arrested for the alleged rape and that two other cases of alleged assault by police were being investigated.

Ngxingo said a man and a woman had allegedly been beaten up by patrolling police a day after the protest march.

“ The people want police from out of town to investigate these allegations of police brutality.”

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