Pupils tackle thief outside school
Mob justice reigned as pupils packed a suspected thief outside a school.
A group of male pupils allegedly tackled a thief after two suspects snatched a female matriculant’s cell phone outside West Ridge High School this week.
This according to a female matriculant who witnessed the apparent mob justice incident on her way to school on Tuesday morning, 2 January. It was around 7.30am when she was walking towards the corner of Ontdekkers Road and Canary Avenue, where she would turn in towards the school grounds, when she saw two suspects approach a girl, and silenced her by covering her mouth and snatch her cell phone.
They tried to get away, but a group of male pupils who also witnessed the incident apparently decided to step in. As they approached the grief-stricken girl one of the suspects managed to get away. According to the female witness’ account, the group started to assault the man in possession of the cell phone and proceeded to do so even after he gave it back to the victim.
“I believe the thieves targeted her because she was walking around with her cellphone in hand,” the witness told the Record.
“We were inside the school yard before the boys stopped assaulting the one suspect, and our teachers hurried us to our classrooms, so we couldn’t see how it ended.”
She further said teachers told concerned pupils the Roodepoort Police and a paramedics service were called to the scene. She also said the boys who came to the girl’s rescue spent most of their Tuesday in the school’s offices.
Paramedics services have not been able to confirm which company attended the scene or what the man’s injuries were. It is unclear whether a case was opened against the beaten suspect but the witness further alleged he had intentions of opening a case of assault against the school boys. Roodepoort Police is yet to comment on the matter.
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Also read: Chaos erupts as pupils are chased from school
DoE slow in punishing West Ridge assailants
Drugs confiscated as West Ridge High
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