Police rescue suspects from an enraged mob
The suspects were severely assaulted with an assortment of weapons during the mob justice incident
LIMPOPO – Police rescued two housebreaking suspects from an enraged mob in Leeuwfontein outside Marble Hall last Monday evening.
The community gathered and hunted down the men whom they accused of several housebreaking incidents in the area over the past week.
The suspects, aged between 20 and 31, were apprehended by the furious community and severely assaulted with an assortment of weapons, stones and sticks after being accused of stealing a garage door and cell phones from two households in the area.
“We are tired of people stealing from us. We want all criminals in the area to learn from this incident. They break into our houses and steal from us. This must come to an end. We want to say to them that we are tired of losing our possessions to thieves,” said one resident.
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The community pelted stones at police vehicles who wanted to remove the men from the angry crowd.
“We want them dead. We don’t want the police to take them as the following day they will be back on the streets and threaten our safety,” said another villager.
The community went further to vandalise a home of one of the men before they assaulted him outside the yard.
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“Their parents know exactly what their children do and they don’t do anything about them, instead they protect them. We want to show them that this community is tired of what their children put us through.”
Police transported the men to hospital. No arrests were made as investigations continue. Police discouraged the community from taking the law into their own hands.
Motetema Police Spokesperson, Sgt Boitumelo Matlala, said no case was opened at the station.
