Nurse among two arrested for allegedly assaulting 12-year-old girl

A nurse from Mbombela and his mother have been charged with the “brutal” assault of a 12-year-old girl they claimed was “being disrespectful”.

Siphosethu Sean Nkuna, 30, a nurse, allegedly beat the girl last weekend while his 52-year-old mother Beauty Mercy Nkosi pinned her down, Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Leonard Hlathi said on Saturday.

“Pictures of the girl with bruises on her face have been widely circulated on social media.

“Siphosethu, a local nurse, claimed that he was disrespected by the girl, hence the assault. Nkosi is said to have pinned the girl down during the incident.

“Nkuna claimed he was teaching her a lesson for being disrespectful, but according to the law, this amounts to assault as no one has the right to inflict physical pain on a child,” Hlathi said.

He said the girl flagged down a police vehicle patrolling the area on Monday and told officers about her ordeal.

She was taken to hospital for medical assistance.

Police registered a case of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm on her behalf and arrested the mother and son.

Hlathi said the two have appeared in the Chief Albert Luthuli Magistrate’s Court and are both out on bail.

They were expected to appear in court again on 15 April.

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