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Following reports, an 11-year-old boy was assaulted by police officers from Osizweni SAPS after he lost a school teacher’s car keys.
Osizweni SAPS Spokesperson Captain Sipho Nkosi explained that the young child was asked to fetch his teacher’s jacket from her car on 27 October 2022.
The young learner apparently did so but in the process allegedly lost the teacher’s car keys, leaving the educator from a local primary school in Osizweni, KZN, fuming.
Due to the teacher’s reaction, the child was apparently too scared to attend school on 28 October 2022.
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However, not leaving the matter, the teacher apparently arrived at the child’s home, with two police officers at her side. According to claims, the two officers proceeded to interrogate the child, leaving him frantic with fear. With little progress being made in the interrogation, due to the child being frightened, the teacher allegedly instructed the officers to hit the child.
The two officers took a branch from a nearby tree and lashed the boy’s back until he said he would go to the school with them and show them where he had left the keys.
This saw things take an even darker turn, with the police allegedly putting the young child in the back of the van by himself, leaving his mother to follow on foot, with the boy’s aunt.
Upon arriving at the school, the two women heard the child crying in one of the school’s bathrooms. Rushing in, they found him handcuffed with the officers beating him with their bare hands.
He was then taken to a nearby clinic for medical treatment.
As a result, Captain Nkosi has confirmed that a case has been opened and an internal investigation is currently underway.
“The matter is being investigated internally and has been referred to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID). We cannot tell if the claims made against the officers are true or false, until the investigations are complete. However, if the investigations find that the claims made by the child’s mother are true, steps will be taken against the two police officers,” assured Captain Nkosi.
Reflecting further on the matter, the KZN Democratic Alliance (DA) Spokesperson for Education Dr Imran Keeka said, “This dastardly act of pure abuse of power, assault and thuggery must never be swept under the carpet. It is hoped that IPID will expedite looking into the matter and bring to book those who have a responsibility to protect people and who have broken this trust by their miserable actions.”
When looking at the teacher, Dr Keeka asked what gave the teacher the right to “treat this young child like a slave”?
“Sending the learner to do their menial tasks and then, through nothing more than suspicion end up at the home of the learner with police to torture the young person. While the actions of this teacher were outside the school, it started with an abuse of their charge on the school premises and must be put under the microscope,” stressed Dr Keeka.
He further added that he would be writing to KZN MEC for Education, Mbali Frazer, to investigate the matter and establish what possible action may be taken against the educator.
With the matter now under investigation, what are your thoughts on the matter?
Share your views in the comment section below.
That poor child I am disgusted I hope the teacher and the police officers are punished I wouldn’t stop until these people were all behind bars how disgustinh