CAPE TOWN – A police officer stationed at the Nyanga police station appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Monday on an array of charges including rape.
The 31-year-old constable who has since been suspended appeared briefly on charges of pointing a firearm, rape, theft, assault, sexual assault and kidnapping.
He is accused of raping a suspect shoplifter on Thursday, December 2.
The officer was arrested at the weekend.
According to the spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Eric Ntabazalila, the officer is expected to apply for bail.
“His case was postponed until December 23, 2021 for bail application. The State will oppose bail,” Ntabazalila said.
According to Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) spokesperson Grace Langa, at about 4pm the victim was apprehended by security at a Jet store in the Junction Mall after it was suspected he wanted to steal clothing.
The security guards called police and the man was handcuffed, allegedly assaulted and placed in the back of the police van.
Langa said the suspect was transported to the Browns Farm satellite office where officers got out of the vehicle. However, the driver drove off with the suspect to Nyanga police station.
She said a female police officer was picked up at the station and dropped off in Crossroads.
It was during this time the constable allegedly took the suspect in the back of the police vehicle to a gravel road surrounded by bushes near the airport.
“He put a gun against the victim’s stomach and pulled down the victim’s pants and started playing with his penis while playing a porn video from the phone.
“He (police officer) then turned him around and penetrated his penis in the victim’s anus and when he was done he drove with him to his address in Khayelitsha where he removed his police uniform and later took the victim home to Gugulethu,” Langa said.
She said once free from his alleged perpetrator, the victim contacted his cousin who is also a poice officer and told him what happened.