An allegedly drunk police officer refused to help a woman in the cells at Midrand police station, 25 November 2019. Picture: Screengrab
The police have launched an internal investigation following a video of an officer at Midrand police station, who refused to help a pleading mother and child, went viral.
The video shows the officer – who was alleged to be under the influence – refusing to check up on a woman who was in the police cell with her child.
The woman is clearly pleading for help but the officer says, “it is none of my business … she can die and I can write an affidavit that she died”.
He addresses the person capturing the video, saying, “who are you to tell me there is a lady who is crying. I will write in the books, ‘there was a lady, she was crying and then she died’.”
According to Gauteng police spokesperson Brigadier Mathapelo Peters, no formal complaint had been laid but an “urgent” investigation into the incident was launched.
“While at this point the police have received no complaint relating to a video clip circulating on social media, the provincial commissioner, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, has sanctioned an urgent internal investigation to establish the facts surrounding the clip,” Peters said.
She called on the person who captured the video to contact the police.
“It would assist the internal investigation if the person, who captured the video, could contact management at the Midrand police station.”
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