Christopher
van Rensburg, 33, Nigel, beaten to death by black cops in cells
20080915
mom Theresa Mercia van der Merwe awarded
R390,000 compensation
Aug
15 2008 - PRETORIA HIGH COURT -- The mother of Christopher van Rensburg, 33,
arrested in Nigel in September 2005 with another man in trumped-up
'drunkenness' charges, was beaten to death by black cops in the local police
cells. Van Rensburg had tried to stop these cops from beating up his friend.
Forensic examinations determined that Van Rensburg had been sober, as had been
his friend. Police brutality costs the SA taxpayers R120-million paid out in
compensation claims like this last year. Yesterday the Pretoria High Court
granted compensation to his mother Mrs Theresa Mercia van der Merwe, 53. The
Minister admitted in the documents before the court, that actions by
State-officials had caused Van Rensburg's death. He had died of multiple
injuries inside the police cell while he was beaten up - in front of many
witnesses. The police who participated and witnessed the beating also refused
to obtain medical care for the prisoner in their care and thus also contributed
to his willful death, allowing him to just die untended from his injuries, the
Police Minister has admitted. Mother Mrs van der Merwe, a nursing assistant at
the Life Suikerbos-clinic in Heidelberg, submitted in the court application
that Van Rensburg supported her and other family members financially. Her
daughter Theresa, 24, is brain-damaged after a car accident and both women need
support. The court agreed that 'due to the illegal actions by the police,
causing Van Rensburg's death, Mrs van der Merwe and her daughter have been
denied the financial support by the deceased. She has also suffered great
emotional shock and has been deeply traumatised by her son's death.' The
UNNAMED police officers were not charged with murder, it's not known if they
lost their jobs:
