Given that South Africa has the highest rate of violent crime in the
world, you’d think a police patrol car would be a welcome and reassuring sight.
You would be dead wrong.
The last thing any law-abiding motorist traveling alone late at night would want to see is a police patrol car.
Here’s why:
The last thing any law-abiding motorist traveling alone late at night would want to see is a police patrol car.
Here’s why:
This police car (shown in the video) is attached to
the flying squad in Pretoria.
The sight of which, on patrol in your neighbourhood, should send out feelings of well-being.
But it's alleged that the policemen to whom this car was assigned, on the nights of the 12th and 13th of January this year, were up to no good.
Their behaviour caused havoc in the lives of Anli and Deon Groenewald who were subjected to harassment and physical abuse over 24 hours.
The Groenewald's case is another instance in a litany of abuses, perpetrated by uniformed police and traffic officers.
It seems that more and more police officers disregard standing orders, procedures and the Constitutional rights of the public.
There are also marked similarities in the cases; the victims being pushed off the road, excessive force used and sometimes racial undertones.
Anli Groenewald was stopped by three policemen in the flying squad car.
Anli Groenewald: 'The one that was in the passenger seat said he would like to take this white bitch to Mamelodi and then they will show me what they will do with me there.'
Anli was on her way home in the early hours of the morning when she noticed a police car alongside the road.
It followed her, blue lights flashing.
Thinking they must be on their way to a crime scene, she carried on driving.
Then the driver waved a gun at her.
So she stopped and asked what the problem was.
Anli: 'He said to me that he can stop me anytime because he is the police and besides that, that time of the night all vehicles on the road are suspect.'
The sight of which, on patrol in your neighbourhood, should send out feelings of well-being.
But it's alleged that the policemen to whom this car was assigned, on the nights of the 12th and 13th of January this year, were up to no good.
Their behaviour caused havoc in the lives of Anli and Deon Groenewald who were subjected to harassment and physical abuse over 24 hours.
The Groenewald's case is another instance in a litany of abuses, perpetrated by uniformed police and traffic officers.
It seems that more and more police officers disregard standing orders, procedures and the Constitutional rights of the public.
There are also marked similarities in the cases; the victims being pushed off the road, excessive force used and sometimes racial undertones.
Anli Groenewald was stopped by three policemen in the flying squad car.
Anli Groenewald: 'The one that was in the passenger seat said he would like to take this white bitch to Mamelodi and then they will show me what they will do with me there.'
Anli was on her way home in the early hours of the morning when she noticed a police car alongside the road.
It followed her, blue lights flashing.
Thinking they must be on their way to a crime scene, she carried on driving.
Then the driver waved a gun at her.
So she stopped and asked what the problem was.
Anli: 'He said to me that he can stop me anytime because he is the police and besides that, that time of the night all vehicles on the road are suspect.'
