Rights violated at police station

An Edenvale mother has said it would seem an unruly, disrespectful and belligerent element has crept into the Edenvale SAPS.

This comes after her son was arrested late in December last year.

“Certain Constables, duty and investigating officers’ behaviour towards members of the public is quite frankly distasteful and disrespectful,” said Mrs Pat Kingsley.

Her son, Darren, and his two friends spent a night at the station after their arrest and she believes their basic human rights were violated during this time.

“I am concerned that other victims will have their innate rights violated in a manner which is neither judicious nor correct,” she said.

“The South African Constitution assures every human being of certain innate, inalienable and basic human rights, and obligations relating to human dignity, equality and freedom,” she added.

Mrs Kingsley’s son and his friends were arrested during a late night trip home from a social event in Greenside.

She believes young men in particular are targeted by members of the SAPS when they travel home late at night.

“They were stopped, searched and forced to lay down on the ground with their legs spread.

“When they asked why this was happening, they were told they will be taught a lesson before being punched, pulled, shoved, strangled and thrown into the back of a police vehicle,” said Mrs Kingsley.

According to Darren, his cellular phone was snatched from his ear when he tried to notify his family.

He was then told talking on his phone could “endanger his life”.

“With the boys in the back of the van, the policemen drove recklessly, trying to inflict as much damage as possible on them by leaving heavy tyre rims in the van while he flew around corners,” she said.

Mrs Kingsley added that the boys were left bruised and injured.

“The officer also did not have any identifying details on his clothes. He wore a bullet proof vest which covered his name tag. When asked what his name was, he told the boys, “I do not have a name and I do not need a badge,” said Mrs Kingsley.

She added that the officer told her he only needs a police vehicle to identify himself as a policeman.

“He said if I could read I would see Edenvale on the side of the van. He kindly spelt this out for me,” said Mrs Kingsley.

Mrs Kingsley said when at the police station, officers laughed at concerned family members and intimidated the arrested children into signing “blank pieces of paper”.

“When the boys asked what they were being charged with, they were told they were being cheeky, resisting arrest and interfering with police duties,” said Mrs Kingsley.

She added that even when their legal representative arrived at the station after 2am, he was unable to obtain a definitive reason for the arrest of the three boys.

“He was told it would be decided on later,” she said.

According to Darren, he was pressed to confess to driving while under the influence of alcohol, despite a lack of blood or a breathalyser tests.

“While questioning the reason for the detention, my husband asked to speak to a more senior officer. There was a female Captain on duty who clicked her tongue at him and repeatedly tapped her desk. She was more concerned with shooting staples into the air than helping,” said Mrs Kingsley.

“She made no effort to intervene and eventually slip-slopped her way to the counter and told us there was nothing she could do before she continued to examine the stapler with intent,” she said.

That night the boys shared the general cell with 22 other detainees.

“We were told to grab a thin mattress and blanket. The blankets looked filthy so decided to leave them and only take the mattresses,” said Darren.

“We made friends with everyone there because we did not want any trouble,” he added.

While in the cells, the boys were told how many of those sharing with them were arrested immigrants.

“Either their papers were incorrect or their papers were been torn up by police officers before being arrested,” Darren said.

Some of the detainees had been waiting in the cells for 16 days.

They would only be released once Home Affairs opened in January.

“It was sad, so many of them would spend Christmas away from their families,” said Darren.

“Another gross violation of human rights is detaining people longer than the 48 hours without their removal to an appropriate detention centre,” said Mrs Kingsley.

She added that while waiting at the police station, she could hear the screams and cries of a mentally ill detainee from the parking area.

“This detainee was kept in the same cell as the others,” she added.

“There was also an over-riding stench of urine and faeces, even to me standing outside the window of the detention cells. One may suspect that disease would be rife in those cells,” said Mrs Kingsley.

By the time the boys appeared in court, there were still no statements in the docket against them.

They only found out later that the charges against them were for reckless and negligent driving and interference with police duties.

Since the ordeal played out with her son, Mrs Kingsley has been told of other, similar cases in Edenvale.

“One young man told me his head was stood on and he was forced to withdraw money from his bank account,” she said.

Mrs Kingsley plans to start a support group for residents who have experienced similar cases.

Anyone who would like to contact Mrs Kingsley can do so on 074 111 0958.