Three men were arrested and charged with assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm after they were filmed torturing a nine-year-old boy.
Also read: Mowbray police assault: no names and no consequences
Warning: The following article contains graphic content.
According to IOL, the incident occurred in Klapmuts on Saturday, 27 January, when the young boy was accused of stealing R600.
Three men, 21-year-old Justin Limco, 24-year-old Nathan Niewenhuis and 34-year-old Zane Marthinus, were arrested and charged, even though more than five people could be seen in a video that captured the ordeal.
In the six-minute-long video, the boy can be seen standing next to a white car while someone talks about money. People can be heard laughing in the background and making comments like, ‘Tie him up, make it tight’.
A man’s voice then asks, ‘Are you going to speak the truth now? Are you going to steal again? Are you still not going to talk?’
A man wearing a white vest can then be seen taking a steel handle connected to a car battery with jumper cables to which the boy’s hands are tied and pushing it behind his neck. A woman then says that the boy is not crying, to which the man responds by asking the boy whether he is.
After some time, one of the suspects states that the car battery is flat and tells the boy to wait.
A female voice then says that they should leave the child alone but another man lifts him, places him in a wheelie bin and closes the lid. He then asks someone to bring water while the boy screams.
The person filming the video ordered the suspects to hit the bin, which had bricks placed on top. A hosepipe was used to pour water into it. The woman holding the camera can be heard saying, ‘Lekker, he swims in the dam so he can hold his head under the water’. This is where the clip ends.
A neighbour reportedly told Cape Argus that the boy was removed from the area after the incident.
The suspects are expected to apply for bail in the Paarl Magistrates’ Court.
Also read:
Police watchdog is investigating torture charges against CCTV cops
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