The police say people who open cases at the police station should ‘get real’.
There are people who open cases, withdraw them then change their minds again, this is according to police spokesperson, Sibusiso Chauke.
He said: “When people come to open a case against someone, they need to be serious about it.
“There are those who come open a case then suddenly want to withdraw charges.”
There are various reasons why people withdraw cases.
He says a common one is that the complainant and defendant will ‘agree’ that they will sort the issue out of court.
“When the agreement is not honoured, the complainant wants the police to intervene and help.
“The police are not social workers.
“When you decide to withdraw a case, you can’t expect them to help you with solving the problem,” he said.
Recently a woman opened a case against the mother and aunt of her boyfriend who allegedly beat her up.
She opened a case against them.
They decided to talk it out and settle the matter only if the boyfriend’s mother and aunt agreed to pay the medical bill.
When the agreement was not honoured, she hoped the police would help her out.
Chauke said people need to understand how the police work.
“We cannot determine what happens in such cases, the courts do,” he said.
While some cases are withdrawn, others, such as rape and murder cannot be withdrawn because of their seriousness.
